Citigroup to Reduce 3,500 Workers in Two China Tech Centers

Continuing with its efforts to enhance risk management, Citigroup C will cut about 3,500 jobs at two of its technology centers in China by the start of the fourth quarter of 2025. The reduction will take place at the China Citi Solution Centres in Shanghai and Dalian.A source familiar with the matter said that most of the jobs that are being cut are full-time. Citigroup mentioned that some of the roles would be moved to its technology centers elsewhere without specifying the number of jobs or locations.The move is part of the bank’s strategy to simplify and reduce its global technology operations to improve data management.Last month, it was reported that the bank was planning to cut up to 200 information technology (IT) contractor jobs in China.Reason Behind Citigroup’s China Workforce ReductionIn July 2024, C was fined $136 million by U.S. regulators for failing to make adequate progress in resolving data management issues.A few weeks back, about 100 IT staff at Citigroup Services and Technology China, Citigroup's wholly owned Shanghai subsidiary, were told that their contracts would not be renewed, and another 100 were likely to receive layoff notices, per people familiar with the matter.The workers were part of Citigroup Services and Technology China, founded in 2002, which supports the bank's business in 20 countries and regions, including the United States, the U.K., and Hong Kong.Thus, the IT restructuring plan highlights Citigroup's intent to address regulatory requirements while simplifying its internal processes.C’s Ongoing Business Overhaul to Improve EfficiencyCitigroup is undergoing a major organizational overhaul, which includes 20,000 job cuts globally by 2026. The restructuring aims to simplify governance, reduce management layers and enhance profitability. The move aligns with Citigroup’s broader goal of improving operational efficiency, with expected annualized run rate savings of $2-2.5 billion by 2026.Apart from this organizational realignment, Citigroup has been emphasizing growth in core businesses by shrinking international operations.In sync with this, in April 2021, C announced plans to exit the consumer banking business in 14 markets across Asia and EMEA. The freed-up capital is likely to be reallocated to higher-return segments like wealth management and investment banking.Last month, Citigroup, through its subsidiary Citibank Europe Plc, announced that Citi Handlowy agreed to sell its consumer banking business in Poland. The company has already successfully exited consumer banking businesses in nine countries — Australia, Bahrain, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.Also, C continues to make progress with the wind-downs of its Korea consumer banking operations and its overall operations in Russia. It is also preparing for an initial public offering of its consumer banking and small business, as well as middle-market banking operations in Mexico.Citigroup’s Zacks Rank & Price PerformanceOver the past six months, shares of Citigroup have gained 5.9% compared with the industry’s growth of 3.5%. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Currently, C carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.Business Restructuring By C’s CompetitorsWells Fargo WFC is making efforts to strengthen its operations. While the bank is reducing headcount and streamlining processes, it is investing in its branch network and upgrading digital tools to augment the customer experience. As part of its attempts to improve the branch experience, Wells Fargo is investing more in branch staff and upgrading technology.This allows it to maintain a focus on cost management while enhancing customer service and accessibility. With such strategic efforts, Wells Fargo expects $2.4 billion in gross expense reductions in 2025, driven by efficiency initiatives.Bank of America BAC continues to strengthen its operations by aligning its banking centers according to customer needs. The bank has embarked on an ambitious expansion plan to open financial centers in new and existing markets. By 2027, Bank of America plans to expand its financial center network by opening more than 150 centers.It also remains committed to providing modern and state-of-the-art financial centers through its ongoing renovation and modernization project. These initiatives will enable Bank of America to improve its digital offerings and cross-sell several products, including mortgages, auto loans and credit cards.7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 DaysJust released: Experts distill 7 elite stocks from the current list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys. They deem these tickers "Most Likely for Early Price Pops."Since 1988, the full list has beaten the market more than 2X over with an average gain of +23.5% per year. So be sure to give these hand picked 7 your immediate attention. See them now >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Bank of America Corporation (BAC): Free Stock Analysis Report Wells Fargo & Company (WFC): Free Stock Analysis Report Citigroup Inc. (C): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks