Macy's says cutting some store level jobs

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Macy's Inc said it is cutting some store-level jobs and adding others as part of its efforts to standardize how it manages stores and staffing.

Bloomberg News reported on Thursday that Macy's would cut 1,500 jobs as of March 6, citing two people familiar with the decision. According to the report, the cuts will affect department managers and merchandising team managers.

Macy's spokesman Jim Sluzewski said in an emailed response to queries about the report that staffing changes were being made as part of a campaign begun last year to streamline its corporate structure.

"In some cases, this means we are reorganizing, adjusting or reducing positions in some areas, while simultaneously adding positions in other areas," Sluzewski wrote. He declined to specify the net effect on overall staffing levels and said he did not have the number of staff that would be affected.

Earlier this month, Macy's said it was closing five poorly performing namesake stores, affecting about 307 employees.

Macy's and other department stores had to contend with slipping sales for much of last year. But Macy's said in January that sales at its stores open at least a year were up 1 percent in December.

Macy's, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, operates about 809 Macy's locations and 40 Bloomingdale's stores in the United States.

(Reporting by Phil Wahba, addition reporting by Shailesh Kuber in Bangalore; Editing by Erica Billingham)