Sprint PCS to Cut 3,000 Jobs

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) _ Wireless carrier Sprint PCS plans to close five of its customer service centers, putting an estimated 3,000 people out of work, the company announced Friday.

The cuts represent about 9 percent of PCS’ work force and follow the layoffs of 6,000 employees and 1,500 contract workers in recent months. Sprint will keep eight PCS call centers open.

Centers in Atlanta, Tallahassee, Fla., and Jacksonville, Fla., will be closed April 16. The center in Lawrence, Kan., will be closed May 31 and a center in Irvine, Calif., will close June 28. About 500 people work at the plant in Lawrence.

Sprint officials sent a written notice to Lawrence Mayor Mike Rundle Friday that operations at the center will be discontinued.