T-Mobile said in a regulatory filing Thursday that it plans to cut 5,000 jobs, or 7% of its workforce. The move comes a few years after then-CEO John Legere told Congress that a merger with rival Sprint would be a major jobs creator.
Public filings suggest the critics weren’t wrong. Prior to the merger, T-Mobile and Sprint disclosed a combined employee count of around 81,500 employees. T-Mobile ended 2022 with 71,000 employees, according to the company’s annual report. After the latest cuts, the head count will be closer to 66,000.
T-Mobile did not return requests for comment about its former CEO’s statements. Legere couldn’t be reached for comment. “So, let me be really clear on this increasingly important topic,” Legere wrote. “This merger is all about creating new, high-quality, high-paying jobs, and the New T-Mobile will be jobs-positive from Day One and every day thereafter. That’s not just a promise. That’s not just a commitment. It’s a fact.”