93 County Jobs Will Be Lost in AT&T; Staff Cuts

About 100 of the 1,300 California jobs being eliminated by AT&T; as part of its nationwide cutback are in Orange County, company officials said Wednesday.

Shauna Lindsay, a spokeswoman for AT&T; in Orange County, said that 93 “surplus jobs” at the company’s Information Systems division have been identified in the county, the bulk of them in Santa Ana and Orange. Other Orange County work locations that will be affected include Anaheim, Newport Beach and Irvine.

The spokeswoman said the job reductions in Orange County have been taking place since June and will continue into 1986.

“Individuals are first offered early retirement programs or reassignment into other jobs,” Lindsay said. “Layoffs are considered only as a last resort.”

More than 117,000 people are employed nationwide by AT&T;’s New Jersey-based Information Systems division, which manufactures and sells computers and office switchboards.

“Essentially, the reason why this is occurring is because of today’s competitive marketplace, especially in the computer field,” Lindsay said. “It dictates that we reduce costs without jeopardizing service.”

California had the highest number of jobs lost for any state, with 1,300 of the 24,000 positions being eliminated nationwide by AT&T; in the retrenchment of its Informations Systems division. In all, AT&T; has 28,000 employees statewide.

So far, AT&T; has identified the locations of only about 10,500 of its planned staff cuts. Thus, California’s--and Orange County’s--job loss could rise when the company identifies further cutbacks later this year.