Mattel Cuts 178 Workers

Mattel, the maker of Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and other toys, said it has completed its latest round of layoffs to reduce costs and that 178 headquarters employees, including six vice presidents, lost their jobs.

The Hawthorne toy company expects to save $10 million this year as a result of the cutbacks, said Spencer Boise, a Mattel vice president. The layoffs, which began in early December, reduce Mattel’s headquarters staff to 1,720 from 2,200 at the end of 1986.

Boise declined to identify which vice presidents lost their jobs.

The layoffs came at the end of another poor year for Mattel. The toy company, which laid off 300 last year, expects to report a loss for 1987. It lost $1 million on sales of $1.05 billion last year.