Up to 500 jobs could be lost at HP Inc in Leixlip

There are fears that up to 500 jobs could be lost at HP Inc in Leixlip, Co Kildare, with senior US management due to brief staff on Wednesday on the future of the operation.

The company announced a programme of worldwide job-losses in October and it now appears that the Irish plant is at risk of closure as part of a major rationalisation of its global operations.

HP Inc makes ink-jet printer cartridges in its Leixlip plant and is also involved in research and development and business analytics. The company was formed in 2015 when the former Hewlett Packard split into two different companies, with HP Inc concentrating on the traditional printer and PC business which has subsequently come under serious financial pressure.

Sources suggest that a lot of its operations are being rationalised back to the US. Senior management from Palo Alto are believed to have travelled to Leixlip and will brief staff on Wednesday morning. There are fears that they will announce the run down of the Irish plant over a period of months.

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In October last year HP Inc announced that it was cutting 3,000-4,000 jobs between 2017 and 2019 to reduce its cost base significantly. There was no indication at the time that jobs in Ireland were at risk. The company employs some 50,000 worldwide. It said at the time that the cuts would cost it $350 million-$500 million in restructuring charges.

HP Inc has come under pressure from the continued fall in PC sales and the move away from printing documents.