America Online (AOL) announced Wednesday it will be closing call centers in New Mexico and Arizona in mid-December, laying off 1,300 employees, as part of a previously announced restructuring plan.

AOL, the Time Warner Inc. online unit, also plans to sell its call center in Ogden, Utah.

"These decisions were very difficult to make, given our long tenure in Albuquerque and Tucson, but they're necessary in terms of the needs of the company and our users," said AOL spokesman Nicholas Graham.

The cut include 900 layoffs at the Albuquerque call center in New Mexico and 400 jobs at the center in Tucson, Arizona, Graham said.

Both two call centers have operated for 10 years.

In August, the Dulles, Virginia-based company warned that as many as 5,000 employees would be laid off within six months as part of the internet giant's restructuring plan.

Source: Xinhua