International Business Machines Corporation, the world"s largest technology services company, is cutting 1,315 services-related jobs in the United States, affecting employees in a variety of areas including computer server systems operations, technology integration and management and financial services, according to the Alliance at IBM, a union group affiliated with the Communications Workers of America. IBM spokesman John Bukovinsky said he could not confirm the number of job cuts and said the cuts "should not be a surprise" as the company indicated after its latest earnings report on April 17 that it planned to cut costs in the United States. Bukovinsky said the company does not anticipate a charge against earnings for the job cuts, which he characterized as normal for a services business that is dependent on the changing demands of clients.
IBM had 355,766 employees worldwide at the end of 2006, according to its annual report.