BOISE - Micron Technology will cut 15 percent of its global workforce, with most of the cuts coming in Boise.
The company is revamping its memory operations amid a "challenging global environment for technology products."
Micron and partner Intel will stop making NAND flash memory at the Boise plant, cutting supply by about 35,000 wafers each month. The company says the price for NAND flash has fallen below the cost to manufacture it.
Micron says the 15 percent workforce cut will occur over the next two years. Officials will start with a voluntary program - and say they will provide severance and outplacement services.
The company last went through a round of layoffs in the summer and fall of 2007, with about 10 percent of global workers leaving the company. An estimated 9,000-10,000 people are employed by Micron in Boise.
"Micron is in a strong position relative to our competitors, as evidenced by our balance sheet and cash flow," CEO Steve Appleton said. "Operations shutdowns and related workforce reductions are always painful, but we are pursuing these actions to maintain the competitiveness of the company."
Officials say the restructuring will save about $60 million.
