Reebok slashes 300 jobs

By Donna Goodison

Reebok International Ltd. laid off approximately 300 employees in North America and Latin America today, including 100 at its Canton headquarters and 12 at its Mattapoisett headwear facility.

“With the current economic conditions and the realities of our business, we have taken the necessary steps to bring our cost structure in line with our 2009 targets,” Reebok President and CEO Uli Becker said in a statement.

“This is a difficult day for all of us. I want to publicly thank our employees for their years of service and dedication to the company.”

The layoffs were spread evenly throughout the entire company, with the majority falling into areas such as sales operations and marketing, according to spokesman Dan Sarro.

The athletic footwear company employs more than 8,500 employees globally, including 1,700 in Massachusetts. Reebok is owned by Germany’s Adidas.