Merrill, the firm with the most stockbrokers, already has reduced its worldwide staff by 3,800 jobs, or about 5 percent.

Its worldwide staff includes some 25,000 software engineers.

Pitney Bowes plans to cut its worldwide staff by 3.4 percent.

On February 1, 2006, Electronic Arts announced that it would cut worldwide staff by 5 percent.

Digital reduced its work force in the quarter by 6,500 employees, more than the company had predicted, bringing the worldwide staff total down to 102,100.

The firm grew to a worldwide staff of more than 300, with 17 offices in more than a dozen countries.

Electronic Arts, the world's largest game publisher announces that it will cut worldwide staff by 5%.

Roche has said it is considering layoffs of up to 12 percent of its worldwide staff to cut costs.

Yet behind the traditional façade is a Tardis-like warren that crams in many of its 30,000 worldwide staff.

It has also reduced its worldwide staff to 1,700 employees from 2,100.