Eastman Kodak cutting 70 jobs in Rochester area

Friday, September 26, 2014, Vol. 38, No. 39

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) — Eastman Kodak says it will cut 70 jobs at its Rochester-area operations as it transitions to a smaller company focused on commercial and packaging printing.

The Rochester-based film and photography pioneer announced Wednesday that it was eliminating 85 positions companywide, including 70 in the Rochester area.

It's the largest number of layoffs since Kodak ended its Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September 2013. At the end of last year, Kodak employed 8,800 worldwide, including 2,300 in Rochester and its suburbs.

The company's statement says the cuts come as Kodak continues "re-engineering" some of its operations across several businesses.

At its peak in the 1980s, Kodak employed 145,000 worldwide, including tens of thousands in the Rochester area.