Bose Corporation to shed 1,000 workers

Battered by the slumping US economy and setbacks in the consumer electronics business, Bose Corporation, known for its high end audio products, will cut 1,000 jobs, about 10 per cent of its global workforce.

Battered by the slumping US economy and setbacks in the consumer electronics business, Bose Corporation, known for its high end audio products, will cut 1,000 jobs, about 10 per cent of its global workforce.

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The privately held company founded by Indian-American Dr Amar G Bose would not say how many positions would be eliminated at its corporate headquarters in Massachusetts or how many workers it employs there.

Bose issued a statement on Tuesday saying it was "restructuring its operations in response to the decline of the global economy, and its impact on consumer spending."

It said the cutback would affect unspecified "select areas, including manufacturing." The company declined to provide further details or make an executive available to discuss its finances and restructuring plan.

Industry analysts, quoted by Boston Globe, said all consumer electronics manufacturers and retailers have been hurt by the deepening recession, which recently has pinched spending by affluent consumers an important part of Bose's customer base as well as low and middle-income buyers.

"We have been staffed for a growing economy, not a global recession," Bose said in its prepared statement. "As a global company, we are responding to these challenges."

The statement said the company's job cuts would "help us prepare for the future, and preserve our focus on research, innovation, quality, and our customers."