Big Pharma Job Cuts: Merck Slashes 500 Jobs Across The U.S.

Pharmaceutical firm Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK) is cutting 500 jobs across multiple states effective Jan. 3, 2020.

The job cuts will include workers at Merck’s Upper Gwynedd and Lansdale and Pennsylvania locations as well as remote workers located across the nation, according to the company’s filing with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry.

The filing also states that the job cuts will affect certain field-based and office-based sales personnel inside the company’s human health division as well as a “small number” of marketing employees and a “small number” of not sales or marketing employees located in Upper Gwynedd and Lansdale, the Philadelphia Business Journal reported.

Merck is reducing its workforce as it makes “several changes” within its U.S. commercial organization related to research and development, Pamela Eisele, a spokeswoman for the company told the news outlet

"Approximately 500 people will be affected in select sales and headquarters commercial teams," she said. "The roles being eliminated are located across all states; but for administrative purposes, the jobs are associated with Merck’s U.S. (operations) in Upper Gwynedd."

Laid-off employees will be provided a comprehensive separation package and can apply to other open positions within the company, Eisele said.

Based in Kenilworth, New Jersey, Merck employees about 69,000 workers worldwide. More than 12,000 employees are located in Pennsylvania.

Shares of Merck stock were up 0.23 percent as of 9:41 a.m. ET on Friday.