• Home
  • News
  • Fortune 500
  • Tech
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechGlobal 500

Hewlett-Packard’s latest job cuts would fill a small city

By
Jonathan Vanian
Jonathan Vanian
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Jonathan Vanian
Jonathan Vanian
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 15, 2015, 5:22 PM ET
Meg Whitman
Meg Whitman, the chairman, president and CEO of Hewlett-Packard, is interviewed on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Thursday, Aug. 21, 2014. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)Photograph by Richard Drew — AP

Hewlett-Packard plans to cut another 28,000 to 33,000 jobs as part of a years long restructuring that includes splitting the company in two in November.

The layoffs, announced Tuesday at HP’s analyst day, would save $2.7 billion annually. They represent over 10% of the company’s workforce of 300,000.

Most of the layoffs will come from HP’s enterprise services group, which handles consulting and call center support. Another 3,300 will be trimmed from its personal computing and printing business, with 1,200 of them coming in 2016.

These new job cuts come on top of a series of previously announced staff reductions by the technology giant, which has struggled to keep up in a rapidly evolving industry. With the latest cuts, the company will have eliminated 83,000 to 88,000 jobs since CEO Meg Whitman took over the company in 2011.

“A big step forward will be if enterprise services can stop shrinking,” Whitman said, referring to the business unit is responsible $4 billion in losses over the past several years. Despite the layoffs, Whitman said the enterprise division remains a focus for her company.

And there’s still room for more cuts. Whitman said that there may be “more pruning” after the company splits in two on Nov. 1 as part of a plan to become more nimble. The company will be divided into an enterprise business that sells data center gear and software to corporations and a separate PC and printer business.

During analyst day Tuesday, Whitman reiterated her support for splitting the company and reiterated why it would eventually lead to stronger businesses. Since announcing the split last year, she has signed off on a series of layoffs that continue to whittle away at the once mighty HP.

During its most recent earnings call, Whitman had said she was done with restructuring the enterprise services group. But today’s announcement shows that there’s still work to be done.

Hewlett-Packard must “fundamentally recreate the enterprise services” division, Whitman said, noting that it would will play an important role in landing new customers and selling consulting services.

To hear Whitman tell it, Hewlett-Packard was “in a weak position” when she started on the job four years ago. She pointed to a bloated workforce, a lack of investing in research and development, missed earnings projections and the disastrous $10 billion acquisition of software company Autonomy has led to years of ongoing litigation.

HP’s shares (HPQ) fell 2.3% in after hours trading Tuesday to $26.50.

For more about Hewlett-Packard, watch this Fortune video:

(This story was updated from the original with additional information)

About the Author
By Jonathan Vanian
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Jonathan Vanian is a former Fortune reporter. He covered business technology, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, data privacy, and other topics.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said China is better equipped for an AI data center buildout than the U.S.
AITech
Nvidia CEO says data centers take about 3 years to construct in the U.S., while in China ‘they can build a hospital in a weekend’
By Nino PaoliDecember 6, 2025
3 hours ago
Arts & EntertainmentMedia
Former Amazon Studios boss warns the Netflix-Warner Bros. deal will make Hollywood ‘a system that circles a single sun’
By Jason MaDecember 6, 2025
3 hours ago
Jay Clayton
LawCrime
25-year DEA veteran charged with helping Mexican drug cartel launder millions of dollars, secure guns and bombs
By Dave Collins, Michael R. Sisak and The Associated PressDecember 6, 2025
4 hours ago
Elon Musk
LawSocial Media
Elon Musk’s X fined $140 million by EU for breaching digital regulations
By Kelvin Chan and The Associated PressDecember 6, 2025
4 hours ago
Sarandos
InvestingM&A
Netflix’s $5.8 billion breakup fee for Warner among largest ever
By Elizabeth Fournier and BloombergDecember 6, 2025
5 hours ago
index
Investingindex funds
Quant who said passive era is ‘worse than Marxism’ doubles down
By Denitsa Tsekova, Vildana Hajric and BloombergDecember 6, 2025
6 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
Two months into the new fiscal year and the U.S. government is already spending more than $10 billion a week servicing national debt
By Eleanor PringleDecember 4, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Big Tech
Mark Zuckerberg rebranded Facebook for the metaverse. Four years and $70 billion in losses later, he’s moving on
By Eva RoytburgDecember 5, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang admits he works 7 days a week, including holidays, in a constant 'state of anxiety' out of fear of going bankrupt
By Jessica CoacciDecember 4, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
‘Godfather of AI’ says Bill Gates and Elon Musk are right about the future of work—but he predicts mass unemployment is on its way
By Preston ForeDecember 4, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Nearly 4 million new manufacturing jobs are coming to America as boomers retire—but it's the one trade job Gen Z doesn't want
By Emma BurleighDecember 4, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Real Estate
‘There is no Mamdani effect’: Manhattan luxury home sales surge after mayoral election, undercutting predictions of doom and escape to Florida
By Sasha RogelbergDecember 4, 2025
2 days ago
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.