Earthlink Lays Off Half Its Workforce

EarthLink, one of the few survivors of Atlanta's tech wave of the 1990s, said it will slash its work force nearly in half in an effort to stabilize its business after a string of losses. The company will focus on providing Internet access while cutting 900 jobs -- 562 of them in Atlanta. EarthLink last quarter reported a $16.3 million loss, following losses of $30 million, $24.8 million and $3.2 million in the previous quarters. Perhaps more ominous, revenues stagnated. EarthLink reported revenues of $312 million in the most recent quarter -- a third consecutive quarter of decreasing sales.

The company will close its Orlando FL, Knoxville TN, Harrisburg PA and San Francisco CA offices and substantially reduce its presence in Pasadena CA and Atlanta GA.