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 wireless The move is part of a restructuring of the firm's THQ Wireless operations.

Epicor, which develops enterprise resource planning, supply chain, and customer relationship management software, said it would take a incur $4M in restructuring charges during Q4. Irvine-based Epicor announced Thursday morning that it is cutting its workforce, as part of a cost reduction initiative at the firm.

The firm said it is cancelling several titles under development, closing five studios, and reducing approximately 250 people and streamlining its corporate organization. Agoura Hills-based video game maker THQ said late Wednesday that it is cutting 250 employees, or 17% of its staff, after reporting disappointing results. READ MORE

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 games 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 jobs 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 employment

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 lifescience

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 metabasis

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. Tags: employment jobs layoff video content game READ MORE>>.