Ibm Plans Incentives To Reduce Work Force

IBM will soon offer incentives to several thousand administrative workers to leave the company or find new jobs in divisions that are growing.

Unlike previous downsizing efforts, however, International Business Machines Corp. has no clear target for eliminating jobs, people familiar with the company’s plans said Tuesday. No layoffs are planned.

The incentive program is part of the company’s broader effort to shift both financial and human resources behind its growing operations while holding costs down in areas where there is little or no growth.

Most likely to be affected are people who are not directly involved in researching, designing, manufacturing and selling IBM products.