Motorola to cut 4,000 additional jobs

US mobile phone maker Motorola has said it would slash an additional 4,000 jobs as part of a stepped-up cost-saving move to remain competitive in a slumping global economy.

The move is part of an overall plan to achieve annual cost savings of $1.5  billion in 2009, the Illinois-based company said as it released preliminary quarterly results showing a loss in the fourth quarter.

Of the latest job cuts, 3,000 will be in the Mobile Devices business and 1,000 positions in corporate functions and other business units.

"The workforce reductions announced today are expected to begin immediately and are incremental to the 3,000 workforce reduction actions previously announced during the fourth quarter of 2008," the company said yesterday.

The latest moves are expected to save $700 million in 2009 costs, it said.

"The actions we are taking today in our Mobile Devices business will allow us to further reduce our cost structure and positions us for improved financial performance in 2009," said Sanjay Jha, co-chief executive officer of Motorola.

"Additionally, we are making good progress in developing important new smartphones for 2009 and are pleased with the positive response from our customers to these new devices," Jha said.

Motorola said it shipped some 19 million mobile phones in the past quarter with sales "adversely impacted by continued weakness in end consumer demand and customer inventory reductions."

The company ended the year with a "total cash position of approximately $7.4 billion," according to a statement.