BT has cut almost another 8,000 jobs in the past six months as the telecoms group presses on with a sweeping programme to reduce its costs.

The company revealed in its half-year results on 5 November that its total workforce, excluding the international business, fell by 7,731 to 90,000 in the six months to the end of September. Compared with a year earlier, the workforce is 11,712 lower, a fall of 11 per cent.

Most of the reduction came at Openreach, the division building BT's full-fibre network. Fewer roles are needed there now that the peak of the fibre build has passed, and the company is also cutting network energy use and repair volumes as part of the same drive.

The job cuts helped lift profits. BT reported pre-tax profit of £1.1 billion for the six months to 30 September, up 12 per cent on a year earlier, on revenue of £8.8 billion, up 1 per cent. The group says it achieved £312 million of annualised savings in the half year, taking cumulative savings to £1.7 billion, and remains on track to deliver £3.5 billion of gross annualised cost savings by the end of the 2030 financial year.

Chief executive Allison Kirkby said the company's UK-focused strategy and transformation was "clearly delivering", with savings achieved in the first half as BT continues to simplify and modernise. The group now expects its workforce to fall to around 75,000 by 2030, at the lower end of the range it previously forecast.

BT also confirmed it bought TalkTalk out of administration on 5 October, protecting services for 2.5 million customers, but said it could not give details of plans for TalkTalk jobs while regulators assess the deal.

[Source: newsroom.bt.com](https://newsroom.bt.com/bt-delivered-a-strong-first-half-with-further-strategic-momentum/) | [Source: glasgowtimes.co.uk](https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/national/26701439.bt-sheds-nearly-another-8-000-jobs-cost-cutting-helps-boost-earnings/)