Chipmaker Layoffs on the Horizon
Hold on to your Silicon, because Microchip Technology is about to give an unwelcome 9% of its workforce what is perhaps the worst gift in tech—a pink slip. That's roughly 2,000 employees for those of you counting, a sign of turbulent times driven primarily by dwindling demand in the automotive sector.
Long synonymous with both innovation and employment in the semiconductor world, Microchip is now setting in place a restructuring process which has been looming over its business model. Might this be the microchip maker's latest (or should we say 'last') attempt to spin the silicon web before demand ebbs completely?
The Price Tag of Restructuring
Nothing in life is free, and that extends to Microchip's employee re-shuffling: With costs projected between a cool $30 and $40 million, the restructuring plan appears as expensive as the stress levels of the laid-off workers. Severance pay rolls, restructuring expenses—a fitting financial farewell package amidst a less-than-friendly farewell.
Here’s what you need to know: employees are due for the infamously nerve-wracking announcement this month, with the entire process set to wrap up by the close of the June quarter. And it's not just the employees who are affected. Microchip’s chip operations in Arizona are heading for an early goodbye, shuttering ahead of schedule this May.
Is it a mere ripple or a terrifying tide for the rest of the industry? Microchip's current predicament shows how crucial it is for businesses to keep their finger on the pulse of demand—a demand that recently flatlined in automotive semiconductors.