The announcement by Intel on Tuesday of new layoffs planned for its operations in Costa Rica surprised president Carlos Alvarado, who only two weeks ago was shaking hands with Intel executives in San Jose, California, during his recent trip to the U.S. seeking foreign investment.
The multinational tech company confirmed it will be laying off workers, but did not provide details in which areas it will be making cuts or how many people will be out of work. The company operates in Costa Rica a research center, a mega laboratory and a global service center.
“The changes in our workforce are driven by the needs and priorities of our business, which we continuously evaluate,” the multinational said.
Although at the meeting in Silicon Valley between Alvarado and the Intel executives there was no talk of creating more jobs, the president said that they had spoken of “the commitment of their operation” in Costa Rica.
After hearing the news of the new layoffs, Alvarado said he will request a meeting with Intel executives in Costa Rica.
Intel arrived in Costa Rica in 1997, when the first stone of a plant for the assembly of high-tech products was laid. Its impact on exports began to grow and came to represent 20% of the total sales of the country.
Last March, the company initiated a series of layoffs. In April 2014, Intel announced it would stop manufacturing in Costa Rica but would maintain a research center, later adding a megalab and global services.