Sprint Nextel to cut 8,000 jobs

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., Jan. 26 (UPI) -- Sprint Nextel Corp. said Monday it would cut 8,000 jobs by March 31 to reduce annual labor costs by about $1.2 billion a year.

About 850 of the jobs would be culled through a voluntary separation plan announced in 2008, the company said.

"Labor reductions are always the most difficult actions to take, but many companies are finding it necessary in this environment," Sprint's Chief Executive Officer Dan Hesse said in a statement.

The company said to maintain recently improved levels of customer satisfaction, most of the jobs lost will be in "non-customer facing groups."