OMAHA, Neb.—First Data Corp. said Thursday that it has cut 6 percent of its global work force, including about 300 jobs in Omaha.
Spokeswoman Nancy Etheredge said the cutbacks come as recent acquisitions have increased First Data’s worldwide staff.
Greenwood Village, Colo.-based First Data processes electronic money transactions from credit cards, debit cards, gift cards and check cards. According to its Web site, the company serves 1,900 card issuers in 38 countries.
Affiliates of the privately held Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. completed a $26 billion acquisition of First Data in September.
The company started 2007 with about 29,000 employees and its goal is to return to that figure by year’s end. Etheredge said she couldn’t give an exact number of current employees or the total number of jobs that are being cut.
The number of employees fluctuates throughout the year, she said.
In Omaha, the cutbacks likely will reduce First Data’s roughly 5,300 employees to fewer than 5,000. Workers were notified Thursday morning.
However, the company said that more of its operations will be moved to its Omaha data and command centers over the next 18 months as part of its consolidation plans.
“Omaha continues to be a key site for First Data,” according to a statement from the company.
In September, a Securities and Exchange Commission filing showed First Data was planning to consolidate its 12 data centers into three and reduce from seven to three the command centers that oversee data operations in the next few years. No layoffs were announced.
The filing was released about the time the company was acquired by the KKR affiliates.
First Data said the employees losing their jobs will be eligible for severance packages.
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