ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Telecommunications firm MCI announced its third major round of job cuts this year, eliminating 2,000 jobs at four U.S. call centers.
MCI spokesman Peter Lucht said Friday the company will close call centers in Colorado Springs, Colo., and Wichita, Kan. Operations in Greenville, S.C., and Iowa City, Iowa, will be reduced.
The job cuts will take effect over the next few months.
In March, MCI closed call centers in Denver, Phoenix and Niles, Ohio, and scaled back operations in Alpharetta, Ga., Colorado Springs and Springfield, Mo. The closings affected 4,000 workers. Last month, the company announced 7,500 job cuts throughout its operations.
So far this year, MCI has eliminated 14,000 jobs, reducing its work force to about 40,000 employees.
The call centers have been particularly affected by the job cuts due to the impact of federal Do Not Call legislation, Lucht said.
"Telecommunications market realities, including industry, economic and regulatory conditions, require MCI to take these actions as part of its ongoing cost reduction effort," Lucht said. "While reductions like these are always a last resort, MCI must continue to revamp its cost structure."
MCI, which emerged from bankruptcy protection this year, lost $388 million in the first three months of 2004. The company had previously said that the job cuts announced in March and May would save $600 million a year and allow it to return to profitability in the second half of 2004.