U. SAUCON TWP., Pa. – Olympus will cut 2,000 positions from its global payroll.

The medtech company, which is based in Tokyo, Japan, with U.S. operations in Upper Saucon Township, Lehigh County, made the announcement during its fiscal 2026 second quarter earnings report on Friday. 

The cuts, beginning this fiscal year and continuing into fiscal year 2027, are expected to save the company ¥24 billion ($156.5 million), said Bob White, the CEO of Olympus, adding that the “structural changes” would “simplify our organization, reduce hierarchical layers, and widen spans of control to increase agility and accountability.”

The reductions amount to about 7% of Olympus’ workforce around the world; as of September 30, 2025, the number of global employees was 29,056.

69 News reached out to Olympus with questions about the local implications of the cuts. A spokesperson issued a statement on behalf of the company but could not provide any further details about which facilities will be impacted.

Besides its U.S. headquarters in Upper Saucon, Olympus also has a distribution center in Upper Macungie Township.

Olympus, formerly a camera company, shifted its focus in recent years and is now purely a medical-technology company, making products and systems for gastroenterology, urology and respiratory procedures, including endoscopes, bronchoscopes and otoendoscopes.

White said the workforce reduction is part of a new, multi-year strategy for Olympus, one that aims to take the company from a region-led model to a “simpler, division-led matrix built around customer-centricity and clinical needs.”

The financial picture

Olympus said its second quarter results fell largely in line with its forecast announced in August, achieving about 20% growth, year-over-year. Revenue increased 4% to ¥247.8 billion ($1.6 billion).

The company also noted that, while U.S. tariffs impacted COGS (cost of goods sold), tightened SG&A (selling, general, and administrative expenses) control led to an adjusted operating profit of ¥37.4 billion ($243.9 million).

Olympus is keeping its forecast for the full fiscal year 2026 unchanged.

Manufacturing in China

Olympus is accelerating preparations for local manufacturing in China, White said, with the first product launch- an EDOF (extended depth of field scope)- expected there soon.

The company previously announced plans to localize production in China in response to the country’s Buy China policy, which is meant to spur domestic investment there.