Applied Materials to lay off 4% of workforce to simplify operations

(Reuters) -Applied Materials will cut about 4% of its workforce, or roughly 1,400 jobs, to streamline operations, the chip equipment maker said on Thursday as tighter U.S. export controls on semiconductors weigh on its business. The company, one of the largest U.S. makers of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, will take a charge of $160 million to $180 million for the layoffs, mostly in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, it disclosed in a regulatory filing. Late in September, Washington cracked down on companies in China and other countries that use subsidiaries or other foreign affiliates to circumvent export curbs on chipmaking equipment and other goods and technology. That has made it harder for Applied Materials and its rivals to export some products and supply specific parts and se