Axe falls again at AMD, 500 more employees laid off

Merely seven months after AMD hacked 1,600 employees from its roster, we're seeing 500 more head for the exits. The latest round of layoffs at the Sunnyvale-based chip maker amounts to 3% of its global workforce, and according to spokesman Michael Silverman, the "headcount reduction is part of the company's efforts to reduce [its] cost structure." The firings come a month to the day after a breakup was announced, and they'll affect every division of the company save for the manufacturing operations -- which are, in fact, precisely what's being spun off. Just another day in paradise, eh AMD?

[Via MarketWatch]

[Scotty Doo @ Nov 6th 2008 8:38AM]

CEO of AMD on Phone: What......what you mean we're behind again? Intel did what? What the hell is an Nee-hee-lem?

[Knives_Out @ Nov 6th 2008 8:42AM]

uh..

[Flashpoint @ Nov 6th 2008 9:21AM]

Apple should buy AMD.

This way, everything AMD makes will be "innovative", "ground breaking" and "stylish"...including the lastest line of software drivers which can only be expressed as: "sleek and bold"

[Ellianth @ Nov 6th 2008 10:03AM]

LOL Flashpoint.

[mos @ Nov 6th 2008 10:11AM]

Sometime I wonder if Flashpoint is really iEye.

[Andy TGD @ Nov 6th 2008 10:11AM]

::Pats Flashpoint on the back::

[Ordeith @ Nov 6th 2008 1:40PM]

Meanwhile Intel is pricing the core i7 solidly out of most peoples reach.

this is what normally happens when Intel doesn't have competition. AMD needs to survive to keep Intel from price gouging.

[loosely_coupled @ Nov 7th 2008 1:30AM]

@Ordeith
What are you talking about? In fact, with the solid performing Core 2 Quad series still pounding AMD's phenom, most people thought Intel would price Nehalem in the stratosphere, but they didn't.
Now granted, these prices are for units of 1,000 processors, but the Core i7 920 2.66Ghz is only $284.

[VeganFreak @ Nov 6th 2008 8:45AM]

ZE GERMENZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!

[Fusion Fuzo @ Nov 6th 2008 8:45AM]

BAD, At least this will explain the drop in performance on their new products

[Evan @ Nov 6th 2008 8:52AM]

Earlier in the decade, many companies went through a cycle where they laid off too many engineers, and were unable to keep up with the competition and had to re-hire many of those positions.

With all these layoffs, don't expect AMD products to outperform Intel products in the next couple of years.

[collegekid13 @ Nov 6th 2008 9:03AM]

goodbye amd. it was nice knowing you.

[EK @ Nov 6th 2008 9:39AM]

YESSSS FINALLY!!! I don't care if intel prices go up, I just want AMD out of the picture, I am tired of the nerds defending that company! Intel has never done me wrong, therefore I stick with them. AMD has I owned a computer with an AMD in 2001, WHAT A JOKE. Never went back. No competition higher prices, I know try another argument because I don't care about that, Intel is proven in my arena! YESSS AMD GO DOWN IN FLAMES!!!

[maveric101 @ Nov 6th 2008 9:43AM]

YESSSS FINALLY!!! I don't care if intel prices go up, I just want AMD out of the picture, I am tired of the nerds defending that company! Intel has never done me wrong, therefore I stick with them. AMD has I owned a computer with an AMD in 2001, WHAT A JOKE. Never went back. No competition higher prices, I know try another argument because I don't care about that, Intel is proven in my arena! YESSS AMD GO DOWN IN FLAMES!!!

/s

fixed it for you.

[Andy TGD @ Nov 6th 2008 10:36AM]

AMD is perfectly fine. Their processors are pretty damn good and the average user wouldn't notice the difference between an AMD and an Intel-based PC unless they were told. 2001 was a long time ago in computing terms, they've come a long way since then.

[MarbleMind @ Nov 6th 2008 11:19AM]

Are some people missing here that AMD doesn't just produce processors and Intel isn't its only competitor? AMD improved its position in the graphics card market by several percent since the introduction of the HD 4000 series in Q2. With Nvidia seemingly struggling to get the 55nm refresh done prior to Q1/2009, this isn't likely to change anytime soon, at least not in favor of the green giant. I'm aware ATI has been mainly red figures for AMD for quite some time and they are still probably not getting a ton of money out of it, but with the expansion in that secondary market, I find it to be highly unlikely for this company to go down anytime soon.

[happy_penguin @ Nov 6th 2008 1:57PM]

Whenever I have been processor shopping, Intel has had the fastest processors, for a price. But when it comes to $$ to performance, AMD has always won me over. 80-90 percent of Intel performance for half the price? It's a no brainer.

[Canoo @ Nov 6th 2008 9:41AM]

This is too bad really.

The processor market could use some more competition. Just like there use to be..

[Christian Walters @ Nov 6th 2008 10:12AM]

Man, this sucks I tell yah. I have always sided with AMD/ATI chipsets/hardware/processors etc....but I believe that I wont be doing that much longer. If things continue like this, AMD's end may be on the horizon....

[billmao @ Nov 6th 2008 10:14AM]

This probobly shows more about the economy than about AMD

[VeganFreak @ Nov 6th 2008 10:18AM]

In all seriousness though...this IS bad. Imagine if AMD really does lose its market share. Intel could set whatever they want for the prices of their processors. Hardly a laughing matter for tech enthusiasts.

[chefgon_ign @ Nov 6th 2008 10:26AM]

I feel pretty bad for the people being fired from tech companies right now because every other company they could possibly apply at is in hiring freeze. These folks are just going to be out of a job until the economy loosens up, which could be a pretty long time.

[VV @ Nov 6th 2008 11:58AM]

these peoples are finished

god help them

I am worrying abt myself !!!

[pcgecko85 @ Nov 6th 2008 12:07PM]

Cmon AMD, Intel needs some competition to lower prices. And Intel, you know you need AMD to avoid lawsuits over monopolies. You guys need each other!

[thethirdmoose @ Nov 6th 2008 1:00PM]

Don't worry guys, VIA's still crankin' out that silicon.

[Laughing Man @ Nov 7th 2008 2:45AM]

We need VIA like the soft drink industry needs Sam's Choice. VIA is only still in business because some people who need Processor's are completely broke. If AMD or Intel actually cared that VIA made chips, they would be crushed in a matter of weeks.

[RX3115 @ Nov 6th 2008 1:21PM]

Noooooooo, AMD must survive, it just must.

[wud_e @ Nov 6th 2008 4:12PM]

I was wondering when Engadget was going to pick this up. Unfortuneately I was 1 of the 500. :(

[Paul @ Nov 6th 2008 5:19PM]

The new AMD manufacturing facility being built in upstate NY is going to create 1500+ new jobs soooo it almost balances out, right? Riiiiight?

[Phrank @ Nov 6th 2008 6:44PM]

Probably not because manufacturing is pays lower than R&D positions. Plus without engineers, innovation will eventually go away. :(

[Liam Wolf @ Nov 6th 2008 10:44PM]

Goodbye AMD, I hardly knew you.

[badboikilla @ Nov 8th 2008 5:57PM]

What you guys dont understand is ... AMD is not going after the same market as Intel is. They're in the same business but way different markets.... People that are saying goodbye AMD don't know anything about this industry. AMD will be here for a long time. CPU is not their only business. Making the fastest and the most expensive CPU is not the only way to know that AMD is at the top. On the side note, I shouldn't be saying this but hell ... AMD has the technology to make the same or even better CPUs as Intel at this moment, BUUUTTT they're targeting a different section of the market... This is key to understand their business model... The Roadmap of AMD is way different than Intel . . .