AOL to lay off 1300 in New Mexico and Arizona

America Online said last week it would lay off 1300 employees by closing call centers in New Mexico and Arizona. The layoffs are part of a restructuring plan the online service announced last August.

Time Warner’s online unit also said it planned to sell its call center in Ogden, UT. There will be 900 layoffs at the Albuquerque, NM, call center and 400 jobs at the center in Tucson, AZ. Both centers have been in operation for a decade.

The call center employees were informed last week. They'll continue employment with AOL through Dec. 15, when they'll be offered a severance package that provides a combination of salary and benefits.

AOL, based in Dulles, VA, said the layoffs would reach as many as 5000 in the six months following the August announcement.