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Dow and DuPont Make Major Job Cuts

Business, China, Company Strategy, Economics, Europe, Innnovation, US
By John Richardson on 25-Oct-2012

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Dupont’s Ellen Kullman

 

By John Richardson

Dow Chemical’s decision to cut 2,400 jobs, as it posted a 32% drop in earnings per share, was the result of what CEO Andrew Liveris said was difficult conditions that “may have extended staying power, as the new reality is that we are operating in a slow-growth and volatile world.”

DuPont is to shed 1,500 jobs. CEO Ellen Kullman said: “Current uncertainties in the global economic outlook, softer demand in certain markets and strength in others require realigning business resources to match current growth opportunities and increase responsiveness to rapidly changing market realities.”

The blog thinks that more redundancies across the chemicals industry are likely as companies respond to the New Normal, which involves a VUCA world. 

The good news is that, as Kullman points out, there are rapidly changing market realities that represent tremendous opportunities for chemicals companies.