Yuck! It looks like we are going to be dealing with more layoffs again with IBM. Those that are to be hit this time will be those inWestern Europe. I feel for these folks as we have been dealing with the same sort of issues here in the States for some time now. I have no doubt that there are going to be plenty of ill feelings to go around as these sort of layoffs continue.

Two weeks after announcing plans to cut 600 service jobs and close two locations in Germany, IBM (Profile, Products, Articles) on Friday said it intends to eliminate 538 similar positions and shutter five sites in Sweden.

Additionally, as many as 2,000 jobs could face the axe in France, according to French news reports. A spokesman for IBM in Europe, Fred McNeese, confirmed the planned reductions in Sweden and Germany. Yves Ravez, a spokesman for IBM France, said the company is in discussions with unions about “the evolution of IBM in France,” but has not announced any cuts.

In Sweden and Germany, IBM plans to cut the jobs of people who provide help desk, application management, and other services to IBM customers who have outsourced their IT operations to the Armonk, New York-based company, McNeese said. Customers should not notice a lapse in service because of the reorganization, according to McNeese.