Nokia relocates production to Romania

Finnish company Nokia will lay off 2,300 employees from its Bochum plant in Germany and focus production at its new plant in Jucu, Cluj county. Nokia has voiced plans to shut down the Bochum plant by mid-2008, after production is relocated to lower-cost regions, with Romania as the prime target. “We are moving production to existing plants, mainly in Romania, which will start during the first quarter,” Nokia spokesperson Arja Suominen said. According to Nokia officials, the plant in Germany, where mobile devices are manufactured, is not competitive enough and the situation is not expected to improve, even if additional investments are made. The Finnish company will hire 1,000 people by the end of this year for its new Romanian production facility, explained Daniel Don, manager of the County Employment Agency (AJOFM) in Cluj. Recruitment for the new Nokia plant will continue throughout 2008, with the number of new recruits by the end of the year expected to double initial estimates. In addition, Nokia will recruit personnel for 100 jobs, 50 of which will be graduates of higher education, who will work as managers in supplies, IT, process improvement, services, telecommunications and the workshop.