Twitter cuts 9% of workforce as revenue growth slows

[SAN FRANCISCO] Twitter Inc reported a sharp slowdown in quarterly revenue growth on Thursday and said it would cut 9 per cent of its global workforce.

The microblogging service said its user base ticked up 3 per cent to 317 million average monthly active users in the third quarter from 313 million in the second quarter.

Analysts on average had expected 316.3 million monthly active users, according to market research firm FactSet StreetAccount.

Twitter has been struggling to sign up new users amid competition from nimbler rivals such as Instagram and Snapchat.

Revenue rose about 8 per cent to US$616 million, beating its own forecast of US$590 million to US$610 million.

The company, which last month hired bankers to field acquisition offers but major companies did not bid, reported a 20 per cent rise in revenue in the previous quarter. Revenue rose nearly 58 per cent last year.

REUTERS