MySpace says it will axe two thirds of international staff

STRUGGLING social networking site MySpace said yesterday that it will cut about two thirds of its international work force and close at least four of its offices outside of the US, putting dozens of UK staff at risk.

The News Corp-owned firm has proposed a restructuring plan that would see its international staff cut from 450 to 150 people and its London, Berlin and Sydney offices retained as primary regional hubs. It refused to rule out job losses in the UK.

The news comes just a week after MySpace’s announcement that it was reducing its US staff by about 30 per cent to 1,000 people, saying its staffing levels were “bloated”.

“As we conducted our review of the company, it was clear that internationally, just as in the US, MySpace’s staffing had become too big and cumbersome to be sustainable in current market conditions,” said MySpace chief executive Owen Van Natta, who was formerly chief operating officer at Facebook.

MySpace said it will place its offices in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, France, India, Italy, Mexico, Russia, Sweden and Spain under review for possible restructuring.