Chinese home appliance-maker Hisense Group is laying off more than 10,000 people, several company employees told Caixin, as the global coronavirus pandemic has disrupted production and reduced demand for its products.

The large-scale layoffs, which comprise 20% of Hisense’s total staff, will be completed by the end of next month, Caixin has learned. Executives are determined to carry out the redundancies and the majority of departments will be affected, said one employee in the research department.

Earlier this month, some Hisense employees received emails about possible job cuts, said one manager. “That email was sent only to a small number of the higher-ranked staff and said there would be a plan to ‘optimize the structure of employees to improve operations efficiency and reduce costs,’” the manager said.

Hisense Group is headquartered in the eastern city of Qingdao and employs a total global workforce of 80,000 people. It sells home appliances like TVs and air conditioners, a market hit hard by the ongoing global pandemic.

Read the full story on Caixin Global later.

Contact reporter Mo Yelin (yelinmo@caixin.com)

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