Chipmaker Intel to slash 15% of its workforce amid Q2 losses and lackluster forecast

Chipmaker Intel Corp. is cutting 15% of its massive workforce as it tries to turn its business around to compete with more successful rivals like Nvidia and AMD.

The Santa Clara, California-based company said Thursday it is also suspending its stock dividend as part of a broader plan to cut costs. The bulk of the layoffs will be completed this year.

Intel reported a loss for its second quarter along with a small revenue decline, and it forecast third-quarter revenues below Wall Street’s expectations.

The company posted a loss of $1.6 billion, or 38 cents per share, in the April-June period. That’s down from a profit of $1.5 billion, or 35 cents per share, a year earlier. Adjusted earnings excluding special items were 2 cents per share.

Revenue slid 1% to $12.8 billion from $12.9 billion.

Analysts, on average, were expecting earnings of 10 cents per share on revenue of $12.9 billion, according to a poll by FactSet.

The Biden administration in March reached an agreement with Intel under the CHIPS and Science Act to provide the tech company with up to $8.5 billion in direct funding and $11 billion in loans for computer chip plants in Arizona, Ohio, New Mexico and Oregon. Intel at the time said the funding, along with additional investments, would create a combined 30,000 manufacturing and construction jobs.

“Intel’s announcement of a significant cost-cutting plan including layoffs may bolster its near-term financials, but this move alone is insufficient to redefine its position in the evolving chip market,” said eMarketer analyst Jacob Bourne. “The company faces a critical juncture as it leverages U.S. investment in domestic manufacturing and the surging global demand for AI chips to establish itself in chip fabrication.”

Intel had 124,800 employees as of the end of 2023 according to a regulatory filing. According to a memo to the staff of Intel, CEO Pat Gelsinger said they would be roughly reducing headcount by 15,000.