New York — JCPenney ceo Ron Johnson took the stand this morning to testify in Macy's lawsuit over the Martha Stewart brand. For the first time, he publicly disclosed how much further staff cuts have gone since JCP announced the initial elimination of 1,000 employees in April 2012.
CNBC report Courtney Reagan reported Johnson testified to 19,000 layoffs thus far.
The first wave of layoffs spanned store associates, headquarters staff, call center workers and salon workers. Last July, JCP said it had eliminated an additional 350 jobs, which it described as the "final round" of headquarters layoffs.
Johnson has dismissed recent reports of additional job-shedding as "rumors." During his quarterly webcast two days ago, he said JCPenney employees understood some adjustments would need to be made as the company evolves to a new format. "We have promoted nearly 400 employees," he added.
