By MoneyDJ | Published on May 15, 2025, 9:45 AM | Categories: Human Resources, Components, Displays

Japan Display Inc. (JDI), a Japanese small- and medium-sized display panel manufacturer, is reportedly considering laying off over 1,000 employees in Japan, which could result in cutting its domestic workforce by half. JDI has confirmed in a statement that it is indeed considering job cuts.

According to reports from the Asahi Shimbun and Nikkei on May 15, JDI is expected to announce the job cuts following a board meeting scheduled for today. The company may lay off more than 1,000 employees in Japan, potentially halving its domestic headcount.

JDI has been struggling with losses for years and had already announced in 2023 that it would exit the smartphone LCD panel business. The planned layoffs are part of a broader restructuring strategy aimed at scaling operations in line with business size and accelerating its turnaround efforts.

As of the end of March, JDI had around 4,100 employees worldwide. The planned layoffs would account for roughly one-third of its global workforce. In Japan, where JDI employs approximately 2,700 people, nearly half may be affected. The layoffs would include workers at various domestic sites, including the Mobara Plant in Chiba Prefecture, which is scheduled to cease production by March 2026.

In its May 15 statement, JDI clarified that while some media reports on the layoffs were not issued by the company, it is “a fact” that workforce reductions are under consideration. However, the company emphasized that no concrete decisions have been made at this stage.

JDI is scheduled to announce its financial results for fiscal year 2024 (April 2024–March 2025) and provide guidance for fiscal year 2025 (April 2025–March 2026) on May 15. The company currently expects to report a net loss of 62.068 billion yen for FY2024, marking its eleventh consecutive year of losses.

On February 12, JDI announced that it would cease production at its Mobara Plant—located in Mobara City, Chiba Prefecture, and responsible for manufacturing LCD and OLED panels—by March 2026. The company is considering selling the facility and converting it into an AI data center, and is in talks with several companies that have interest in such facilities.

After the Mobara Plant shuts down, its production equipment will be relocated to the Ishikawa Plant, which will then become a MULTI-FAB facility capable of producing G4.5 and G6 high-value-added panels, sensors, and advanced semiconductor packaging. The Mobara Plant was once a key site for producing LCD panels for Apple’s iPhones, but its utilization rate fell to around 40% as Apple transitioned to OLED displays. JDI once operated six factories in Japan; with the closure of the Mobara Plant, only the Ishikawa Plant will remain.

（本文由 MoneyDJ新聞 授權轉載；首圖來源：JDI）