A company spokesman declined to say precisely how many jobs are moving from Boston, where the company has more than 7,000 employees.
“Fidelity is a large company with many different business units,’’ said Fidelity spokesman Vincent Loporchio. “Our businesses are actively managed, and we often have employees moving from one location to another.’’
Fidelity has been reducing its Massachusetts workforce for years, seeking to diversify its locations as a way to attract talent, reduce operating costs, and take advantage of government incentive packages offered in Texas, Rhode Island, North Carolina, and other states. It also has operations in several foreign countries, including Canada, Ireland, and India.
“Our geographic diversification has been one of the keys to our success,’’ said Ronald O’Hanley, one of the company’s highest ranking executives, at a recent hearing on Beacon Hill on the decision to close the Marlborough location.
The company has more than 8,000 jobs in Massachusetts, down from about 13,000 in 2006. But Fidelity announced plans in March to cut 1,100 jobs in Marlborough by the end of next year. Most of those jobs are moving to Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and other states, though some jobs will probably be eliminated.
Since then, Fidelity has advised both city and state officials that it plans to cut additional jobs in Massachusetts. But Fidelity also assured officials that the firm remains committed to the Bay State and that the moves will only affect a relatively small portion of its overall workforce. Indeed, Fidelity has posted 139 job openings for Massachusetts on its website, more than for any other location. And it plans to keep its headquarters in Boston.
“They have a very significant presence in Massachusetts, and they intend to continue that,’’ said Greg Bialecki, the state’s secretary of housing and economic development, yesterday. Bialecki said he did not know exactly how many jobs Fidelity is moving out of Boston.
