In early May, the Swedish fintech company Klarna opened its new product development center in Lisbon, an event attended by the mayor of Lisbon, Carlos Moedas. A company specializing in global retail banking, payments and merchant services, intends to create 500 new jobs in the plan for the next years, with the aim, above all, to attract the best talent, whether local or international.
A month after Klarn’s arrival in Portugal lay off at least five employees in the country, according to Jornal Economico. SAPO TEK contacted the company about this and the only statement they received was their official position: “While the current problems may slow down our plans in Portugal, we remain committed to developing our presence in Lisbon, as well as for our partners and consumers in Portuguese.
May 23, CEO of the company, Sebastian Semyatkowski, announced reduction of 10% of its employees, that is, 700 out of 7,000 employees, during the revaluation of the business. The company leader says that when he outlined a business plan for 2022 last fall, “the world was very different than it is today,” pointing to the war in Ukraine as unnecessary, leading to a change in consumer behavior, rising inflation and a highly unstable stock market in a recession scenario, emphasizes the company’s CEO.
Dismissed employees began to be informed about the next steps. according to Economic journalthe layoffs of the Lisbon Innovation Center became known after one of the employees of the company from the marketing department created an online tool where laid-off workers could enter their name, experience, and location.so they can be hired by other companies.
At the company presentation in Lisbon, Alexander Fernandez, responsible for Klarma operations in Portugal, mentioned that the startup was one of the fastest growing in Europe and the world with a $45.6 billion valuation.. It has 147 million customers, a 169% year-on-year growth, and 400,000 retailers worldwide. The company wants to offer a “smooth” experience, targeted mainly at a younger audience. “Last year, when I started working, there were 4,000 of us, now we are 7,000 to celebrate our growth,” said Alexander Fernandez.
Editor’s note: News updated with additional information. Last update 10:21. At the end of this news, SAPO TEK continues to wait for an answer on the number of employees in Portugal who have been laid off.
