BT reports £1.1bn profit as almost 8,000 roles slashed from workforce

• Telecoms giant BT has reduced its UK workforce by nearly 8,000 to 90,000 in the six months to the end of September as part of an ongoing cost-cutting programme.
• Most of the job reductions occurred within the Openreach division following the peak of its fibre network build.
• The savings drive helped boost BT's pre-tax profits by 12 per cent year-on-year to £1.1 billion for the half-year.
• BT recently rescued TalkTalk for £400 million, protecting 900 jobs in Salford, though the deal remains under regulatory review by the Competition and Markets Authority.
• The company aims to reduce its core workforce to between 65,000 and 70,000 by 2030 while targeting £3.5 billion in annual cost savings.

IN FULL

BT sheds nearly 8,000 more jobs as cost-cutting drive continues