The restructuring events database contains factsheets with data on large-scale restructuring events reported in the principal national media and company websites in each EU Member State. This database was created in 2002.
Manufacturing Manufacture Of Computer, Electrical Electronic And Optical Products Manufacture Of Computer, Electronic And Optical Products 26.3 - Manufacture of communication equipment
European Globalisation Fund (EGF)
Year: 2012, Case number: 06
New offshoring locations
Not Available
4,000 jobs Number of planned job losses
Announcement Date
8 February 2012
Employment effect (start)
8 February 2012
Foreseen end date
31 December 2012
Description
Finnish communications company Nokia Corporation will end phone assembly in Europe, affecting 4,000 jobs in Hungary, Finland and also in Mexico.
Nokia will transfer its mobile phone assembly operations from Europe to Asia by the end of 2012. The three plants affected are in Salo, Finland; Komarom, Hungary; and Reynosa, Mexico. The plants will not be shut down, but will focus instead on smart phone product customisation for the European and American markets.
Relocating phone assembly to Asia is expected to reduce costs and to enable Nokia to reach markets faster: many components suppliers are based in Asia and the customer base in the continent is growing. Similar offshoring is reported to have occurred in competitor companies such as Samsung, Motorola and Sony Ericsson.
The cuts are additional to around 10,000 layoffs announced by Nokia last year, in April and in September 2011. The firm says that it will provide locally-tailored support programmes that will include financial support and help for employees to find new jobs.
Sources
8 February 2012: Nokia Corp press release
8 February 2012: The Washington Post online
Citation
Eurofound (2012), Nokia, Offshoring/Delocalisation in World, factsheet number 73083, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/73083.
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