Moneycontrol PRO
HomeNewsBusinessIT companies may see more layoffs as sector struggles amid COVID-19: Report

IT companies may see more layoffs as sector struggles amid COVID-19: Report

With projects scarce, employees without active project assignments would be the first out the door, analysts say.

July 13, 2020 / 21:25 IST

A string of layoffs by information technology (IT) companies is reportedly ongoing – globally and in India, as the sector struggles with lack of projects and a comparatively excessive workforce during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Besides the new economic volatility, the sector has over the past two years progressively shifted towards automation and related technologies, making companies reduce employee headcount. The coronavirus pandemic it seems has only accelerated the process, as per a Mint report.

Globally, International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is firing 2,000 employees, including an estimated 100 or so from India – which accounts for 350,000 of its employee strength, it added.

The company did not respond to queries, the paper said.

COVID-19 Vaccine

Frequently Asked Questions

View more
How does a vaccine work?

A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine.

How many types of vaccines are there?

There are broadly four types of vaccine — one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine.

What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind?

Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time.

View more
Show

Follow our LIVE Updates on the coronavirus pandemic here

Among other ITeS companies, Cognizant has laid off thousands. It employs 290,000 globally of which over 200,000 are Indian. A company spokesperson said performance was the deciding factor and is a “normal process.”

Accenture is also cutting 900 jobs in the UK due to low demand, but beyond this has not planned “extraordinary global workforce actions”, an India spokesperson for the company said.

And while others such as HCL Technologies, Infosys, Wipro and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) have not announced massive layoffs, performance-based cuts could be possible amid COVID-19.

With projects scarce, those 'on the bench' or without active projects are considered 'non-billable resources' and would be the first out the door, Sanchit Vir Gogia, CEO and chief analyst at Greyhound Research told the paper.

Follow our full COVID-19 coverage here

Moneycontrol News
first published: Jul 11, 2020 04:04 pm

Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!

Subscribe to Tech Newsletters

  • On Saturdays

    Find the best of Al News in one place, specially curated for you every weekend.

  • Daily-Weekdays

    Stay on top of the latest tech trends and biggest startup news.

Advisory Alert: It has come to our attention that certain individuals are representing themselves as affiliates of Moneycontrol and soliciting funds on the false promise of assured returns on their investments. We wish to reiterate that Moneycontrol does not solicit funds from investors and neither does it promise any assured returns. In case you are approached by anyone making such claims, please write to us at grievanceofficer@nw18.com or call on 02268882347