Google’s struggling cell phone business, Motorola Mobility, will shed 1,200 jobs in an effort to return to profitability. This is the second layoff since Google acquired the cell phone company last year. In August, the company laid off 4,000 employees.
The cuts are a continuation of the reductions the company announced last summer, a spokesperson told the Reuters news agency.
The job cuts will impact employees in the US, China and India. The company intends to focus on higher-margin products, the spokesperson said.
Motorola Mobility’s revenue in the fourth quarter of 2012 was $1.51 billion, or 11 percent of parent Google's consolidated revenue. The unit reported an operating loss of $353 million in that period.
Google bought the cellphone maker for $12.5 billion last year, intending to use Motorola Mobility’s patent portfolio to fend off legal attacks on its Android mobile platform.
