San Diego-based Cymer, which develops lasers used in the manufacturing of semiconductors, said Friday that it has laid off 8 percent, or 85 employees, from the firm. The company said the move will save it around $8.4M in annual savings. The company blamed the moves on the severity of the slowdown in the economy and semiconductor industry.

Calabasas-based THQ , which develops computer game titles, is closing its San Diego, UK, and Germany offices, and has laid off 100 employees, according to an email to employees from CEO Brian Farrell. Tags: jobs employment layoff content games wireles The move is part of a restructuring of the firm's THQ Wireless operations. According to the note, the firm is streamlining its THQ Wireless operations to only focus on high-end handheld devices. ...Tags:

Agoura Hills-based video game maker THQ said Wednesday afternoon that it is laying off around 60 employees, as part of a reorganization of its Juice Games and Rainbow Studios development studios. Tags: reorg employment jobs layoff videogame content game According to the firm, it has "refocused" the two units into THQ Digital Studios Warrington and THQ Digital Studios Phoenix, and reduced headcount at the studios by around 60. The firm said the new studios will focus on digitally distributed games.

San Diego-based Sequenom , a developer of genetic analysis equipment, announced late Thursday that the firm has cut approximately 30 employees as part of a cost cutting measure. Tags: sequenom genetic analysis employment layoff job According to the firm, the cuts were a result of a "continuing weak outlook in 2009" for sales of its equipment, particularly in the U.S. The firm said the cuts were made in its Genetic Analysis business.

San Diego-based Quidel , a developer of diagnostic tests for the healthcare industry, said Tuesday that it has cut approximately 10 percent of its work force, or 31 employees, in a corporate restructuring. Tags: quidel diagnostic lifescience healthcare layoff jobs employmen According to Quidel, it made the cuts in order to "gain operational efficiences and reduce costs." Quidel disclosed that the cuts included two senior-level positions, an elimination of its annual cash incentives, and efforts to reduce discretionary spending for the remainder of the year.

Irvine-based Cortex Pharmaceuticals , a developer of biopharmaceuticals for treating psychiatric disorders, neurological diseases and brain-mediated breathing disorders, said Thursday that it has cut half of its staff as part of a restructuring. Tags: employment layoff cortex pharmaceuticals psychiatric lifescienc According to Cortex, it has reduced its personnel by approximately 50 percent, because of the "continuing uncertainty in the capital markets" and the economy. The firm also said it has reduced the salaries of its executive officers and has "significantly reduced" its basic

San Diego-based Metabasis Therapeutics, a biopharmaceuticals development firm, just announced this morning that it is cutting 38 employees, or approximately 43 percent of its employees as part of a corporate restructuring. Tags: jobs biopharmaceutical layoffs therapeutics pharmaceutical lifescience metabasi Metabasis said the move will focus its efforts on its treatments fo hyperlipedemia and treatments for type 2 diabetes, along with its glucagon antagonist program. The firm said it will take a charge of $1.4M

Agoura Hills-based THQ , a developer and publisher of video games, said Wednesday that it is making "additional cost reduction actions" which includes the layoff of approximately 600 people, or 24 percent of the company's workforce. The firm said that the cuts include a reduction in product development spending by an additional $70M, through "studio dispositions" and other project and headcount reductions. THQ said the move was a response to the continuing uncertainty in the market. THQ also said it would chop sales, marketing, and corporate expenses--including headcount--to

In addition to the employment cuts, Entropic said it is closing its locations in France and Israel, and suspended further development of its advanced network processors being developed in Israel. Tags: employment jobs layoff diego entropic sandiego semiconducto San Diego-based Entropic Communications , a manufacturer of semiconductors for the home entertainment market, said in a filing with the SEC Tuesday that the firm is cutting approximately 55 of its employees, or 18 percent of its workforce. According to the company, its workers were notified Monday and Tuesday that

Calabasas-based Ixia , a developer of network testing tools and software, is reporting this morning that it has implemented a "cost reduction initiative" and cut 80 positions from the firm, in what it said was primarily an elimination of duplicate resources from the company's October acquisition of Agilent's N2X product line. Tags: ixia layoff jobs employment test equipmen According to Ixia, the cuts will save it approximately $11M in annual costs. Ixia said the cuts should be complete by June 30th, and that it will take a charge of $3 to $4M for severance and other related costs.