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IBM's workforce in U.S. declines in '08 but grows overseas

19.03.2009
The number of workers that IBM Corp. employs in the U.S. declined by about 5% last year, but the company's overall headcount is increasing because of overseas hiring.

IBM finished 2008 with 115,000 U.S. employees, down from the 121,000 it reported at the end of 2007, according to its most recent annual report released this month. Overall, IBM finished 2008 with 398,455 employees worldwide, an increase of nearly 12,000 or about 3%.

In 2007, IBM said it had 98,000 employees in Brazil, China, India and Russia, but that number increased by 15% to 113,000 last year. Most of those employees are in India.

IBM continues to cite the U.S. as the country with its largest workforce, but it is not providing a breakout of headcount for India, which may well be the second largest country for employment. In 2007, IBM said it had 74,000 workers in India.

IBM's headcount could change substantially if it . or another company this year.

Sun employed 34,900 worldwide last year, but of as many as 6,000 employees. Both companies are reportedly in merger talks. The two companies have neither confirmed nor denied the reports.