Aker Solutions: More cuts in Norway

Norwegian engineering and construction company Aker Solutions will lay off more workers in Norway due to a decline in activity levels stemming from low oil prices.

The company has said that it will make “the adjustments” within the maintenance, modifications and operations (MMO) sector. About 300 engineering and project management employees in the Norwegian MMO business may be affected.

The company also said that necessary adjustments will be made through normal employee turnover, reassignments to other parts of the company and dismissals. As previously communicated, an additional 70 MMO employees may be temporarily laid off in central Norway.

According to Aftenbladet.no, Aker Solutions has already reduced its staff by more than 500 employees over the last year.

While reducing workforce in Norway, Aker Solutions has said it still sees good opportunities for the MMO business outside Norway.

“Activity in the MMO market in Norway has dropped considerably since last summer, causing overcapacity,” said Per Harald Kongelf, head of Aker Solutions in Norway. “As we see it today, these challenges will continue through 2015 and possibly also into 2016.”

Aker Solutions has about 8,300 own employees working within subsea and field design in Norway. Approximately 4,300 of these are MMO employees.