IBM sheds more than 1,000 workers in US, Canada

IBM is laying off more than 1,000 workers in North America this week, or about 0.2 percent of IBM’s global workforce, according to an employee advocacy group that told Bloomberg News.

The job reductions are mostly in the United States, with some in Canada, Lee Conrad, national coordinator of Alliance@IBM, was quoted as saying in the story. His group has been trying to organize IBM employees.

IBM spokesman Doug Shelton would not provide a number for the firings, citing company policy and the “competitive nature of our business.”

“IBM is constantly rebalancing its workforce,” Shelton told Bloomberg. “That means reducing in some areas and hiring in others -- based on shifts in technology and client demand. This allows IBM to remain competitive and relevant in an industry that is constantly changing.”

IBM Corp., of Armonk, N.Y., ranks No. 21 on Washington Technology’s 2011 Top 100 list of the largest federal contractors.