SNC-Lavalin to cut 4,000 jobs worldwide, 9 percent of total

Canadian engineering and construction giant SNC-Lavalin says it will reduce the company's global workforce by 4,000, or 9 percent of its total.

The Montreal-based engineering and construction company said Thursday the job cuts are part of its ongoing efforts to get out of underperforming business segments.

About three-quarters of the downsizing will be directed at SNC's activities outside of Canada. The layoffs will occur over 18 months starting in 2015.

SNC-Lavalin is one of the world's leading engineering and construction groups, with offices in more than 50 countries and about 45,000 employees worldwide serving a variety of industries.

The company has been working for several years to overcome the impact of alleged corruption among some of its former senior executives.