On the same day that Colgate-Palmolive (CL 1.07%) announced its third-quarter worldwide revenue took a 1% year-over-year dip, the company gave notice it would reduce its global work force by approximately 6% in the next four years. Colgate currently employs 38,600. That makes for 2,300 layoffs.
According to Colgate CEO Ian Cook, the job cuts are part of a plan to increase operational efficiency amid global economic uncertainty.
"We are living in a fast-changing world with many challenges including slowing economies in many countries. This program will help us to move forward from our current position of strength to continue to deliver sustained, profitable growth over the long-term," he is quoted as saying in a company press release Thursday.
Major objectives of the company's four-year "Global Growth and Efficiency Program" include expanding commercial hubs, increasing shared services such as finance and accounting, and using technology to simplify and standardize how work is done.
Colgate's European and South Pacific markets provided the biggest third-quarter revenue disappointment, with a combined 11% fall over the same period last year.
Despite the dip in Colgate's overall revenues, net income did increase by 3% over last year's third quarter.
Colgate fared better than competitor Procter & Gamble (PG 0.54%), which saw its recent quarterly net income fall by 7% year-over-year. Rival Kimbery-Clark's (KMB 0.97%) net income, however, jumped by almost 20% above the same period last year.
