Cisco lays off 600 to 700 workers at headquarters

SEATTLE: Cisco Systems Inc. says it laid off between 600 and 700 employees this week. The jobs cut are all at the company's San Jose, California, headquarters.

Cisco is the world's largest producer of computer networking gear, but orders for its equipment have fallen off as big companies have stopped spending on technology during the economic crisis.

Cisco is planning to cut about 2,000 jobs in all, or about 3 percent of its global work force. The company says some of the people laid off Thursday will find new jobs at Cisco. It will give the rest with severance packages and help finding new work.

Cisco already laid off about 450 California-based workers this year. That's according to notices filed with the state.