MCI Communications Corp. said it has cut nearly 1,500 jobs, or 2.7 percent of its work force, in a bid to boost earnings.
About 1,000 were contractors who work on special projects. An additional 500 were “across the board” in MCI’s operations, said Jim Collins, an MCI spokesman. MCI, the No. 2 U.S. long-distance phone company, also provides local, wireless and Internet services. It has 55,000 employees.
“We do adjustments to keep ourselves competitive in the marketplace,” said Collins. “We look at areas where we need to cut back.”
Last month, MCI agreed to sell the company to WorldCom Inc., the No. 4 U.S. long-distance company, for a record $41.8 billion. The sale is expected to close in mid-1998.
MCI’s third-quarter profit fell 57 percent, to $132 million, or 19 cents a share, from $304 million, or 44 cents, a year earlier. Sales rose 2.9 percent to $4.82 billion.
