T-Mobile To Layoff Employees Before MetroPCS Merger, Sources Say

First news of the T-Mobile acquisition of MetroPCS surfaced back in October 2012. Thus began the long process of passing through government red tape before the deal could actually go through. Earlier today, we reported that the carrier has received a thumbs up from the Department of Justice to move forward with the merger. Now, according to sources, the next step will be a large number of layoffs at T-Mobile's headquarters.

The sources are said to be from within the company, and say that T-Mobile employees know about the upcoming layoffs. The cuts could affect over 100 people in the carrier's marketing group, among others, and is said to be slated for Thursday (tomorrow). Not surprisingly, T-Mobile hasn't said anything on the matter, and declined offering a comment.

The layoffs will happen at the company's headquarters in Bellevue, which has more or less been shielded from the layoffs that the carrier had issued over the past months. In 2012, in excess of 4,200 jobs were terminated, most of which (3300) were in the company's call centers. Word was that T-Mobile would refill those numbers with new employees for its Business Sales department.

Many have feared that the T-Mobile/MetroPCS merger would result in massive job losses, a concern to such a degree that the FCC was asked by both Congress and the Communications Workers of America to put in blocks on the acquisition that would preserve jobs. T-Mobile hasn't been doing fantastic financially, having suffered a 5-percent drop in sales in its fourth quarter over the same quarter the year previously.

[via Seattle Times]