Nokia Confirms Close Of Last Finnish Handset Factory: 780 Job Cuts To Follow

Nokia today confirmed the close of its last Finnish handset factory in Salo, Finland, with talks coming to a close regarding the number of jobs to be cut. In Salo, 780 people will lose their jobs. It was originally speculated that Nokia’s Salo shut-down would result in 850 layoffs.

No longer can the once-king of mobile proudly claim the words “Made in Finland.” The factory’s final phone was assembled on Wednesday.

This isn’t unexpected — Nokia informed us in June that it had plans to cut 3,700 jobs in Finland as a cost-cutting measure. And the firm went even farther, stating the overall goal is to cut 10,000 jobs globally.

The plant will close officially in September 2012.

Nokia is doing everything it can to stay afloat after posting losses for the past few quarters, almost doubling its operating loss in Q2, June.

The company has said that this plan, the shuttering of research and development centers in Germany and Canada, along with the plant in Salo (and all the accompanying job reductions), should save nearly $2 billion by the end of next year.