Intel told data center group employees yesterday that it is cutting jobs again, extending a downsizing during which the chipmaker's Washington County headcount has fallen by roughly 7,000 workers since 2024.
The company did not say how many workers will lose their jobs this time or whether the cuts will specifically affect its Hillsboro campuses.
Intel said in a written statement to The Oregonian/OregonLive that the data center division "is aligning its organization to ensure it has the right roles and skills in place to position the business for long-term success." The company added that the restructuring will not affect its product commitments or roadmaps.
Intel remains Oregon's largest corporate employer, with about 16,000 workers at its Washington County campuses.
Globally, Intel's headcount has fallen nearly 40% in four years, from about 132,000 employees in 2022 to around 81,000, according to the same report.
CEO Lip-Bu Tan has said the company needed to reduce layers of management so it can make decisions faster and develop new technologies more quickly.
Stock climbs sharply despite continued cuts
The layoff announcement arrives as Intel's stock trades near $99 a share, up from about $23 a year ago. Shares have risen more than 160% year-to-date in 2026, according to Reuters, driven by what analysts describe as growing optimism about AI-fueled demand for Intel processor.
First-quarter 2026 sales in the data center group hit $5.1 billion, up 22% from a year earlier. Intel is scheduled to report second-quarter earnings Thursday, July 23.
Manufacturing advances continue in Hillsboro
Even as office and management roles shrink, Intel's Hillsboro manufacturing footprint is producing results.
An ASML press release dated Tuesday, July 15, confirmed Intel has entered high-volume manufacturing of its next-generation Panther Lake processors using High NA EUV lithography on the Intel 18A process node. Specific chip layers have been dual-qualified at the Ronler Acres campus in Hillsboro.
Broader Silicon Forest concerns
A June 2026 report commissioned by Business Oregon warned the state's chip industry could become "insignificant" globally without new companies and a stronger talent pipeline.
That report found total semiconductor worker income in Oregon contracted by $500 million between early 2024 and mid-2025.
State Sen. Janeen Sollman, co-chair of the Joint Committee on Semiconductors, said in a July 9 statement to KOIN 6 News that the Legislature should treat the Business Oregon report as a roadmap. "When Intel, our largest private employer thrives, so do our smallest Main Street businesses all across Oregon," Sollman said.
What's next
Intel reports Q2 2026 earnings Thursday, July 23. Those results may shed light on the scope of the data center group restructuring. No WARN Act filing related to Monday's announcement had appeared in state records as of Monday evening.
