July 31, 2007 – IBM reportedly is laying off up to 450 employees, mostly from its systems and technologies group in upstate NY, amid cost-cutting efforts.

About 300 affected positions are in IBM’s East Fishkill semiconductor plant (though apparently none involved with East Fishkill’s advanced chipmaking operations) and a facility in Poughkeepsie, representing about 3% of the total workforce at those two locations, according to the Associated Press and Poughkeepsie Journal, which noted that “affected titles include supply chain, packaging and testing of chips, as well as some technology and development people.”

Another 90 layoffs will come from the company’s site in Essex Junction, VT, the AP noted.

The rest of the layoffs reportedly were spread among various other locations.