Toshiba is laying off 4,000 employees in Japan, the latest issue for the company that was recently delisted by its private equity firm owners, Japan Industrial Partners (JIP).
Once one of the leading computer and tech firms, Toshiba’s fortunes have suffered major reversals over the last decade, thanks to a combination of mismanagement, missteps, and scandal. According to Reuters, the company is laying off apoximately 6% of its domestic workforce, or 4,000 employees.
As the outlet points out, Toshiba’s restructuring is a test of private equity in Japan. In times past, private equity firms were look down on in the country, thanks to a reputation for being ruthless. If JIP is able to successfully turn Toshiba around, it could do wonders toward improving the view of private equity firms and open the door for other companies to take a similar approach.