Colgate-Palmolive will cut over 2,310 workers, 6% of its workforce, by the end of 2016 in a push to make the consumer products firm more efficient.
Colgate, which is based in New York and has 38,600 employees, wants to streamline global functions and said that it will continue to cluster single-country subsidiaries into regional hubs.
The cuts were announced today as the company posted a 2% increase in third-quarter net income. Revenue slipped 1%.
Savings for the programme should total between $365-$435m annually by end of 2016.
Consumer product companies like Colgate-Palmolive have increasingly looked outside of the US to sustain growth but that has become problematic in recent years.
Half of the nations in the European Union are in recession, with unemployment nearing 25% in some. Even China's red-hot economy has cooled.
The stronger dollar is also hitting all companies that do business globally, with US products growing more expensive at the same time that they have had to raise prices to offset higher costs for raw materials.
Colgate-Palmolive's top rival, Procter & Gamble, reported earlier today that its first-quarter net income fell 7%, as costs related to restructuring and the stronger dollar weighed on results. Kimberly-Clark said yesterday that its net income rose 20%, helped by cost cuts and lower costs for commodities like fibre and other raw materials.
"We are living in a fast-changing world with many challenges including slowing economies in many countries," said Ian Cook, Colgate-Palmolive's chairman and chief executive.
"This programme will help us to move forward from our current position of strength to continue to deliver sustained, profitable growth over the long term,'' he said. The company wants to expand its online capabilities including mobile and social media and e-commerce. It is also investing in research and product development to ensure a "robust pipeline of new products."
It is also zeroing in on emerging markets with targeted programmes to increase consumer loyalty.
Colgate-Palmolive reported net income of $654m, or $1.36 per share for the three-month period ended September 30. That compares with $643m, or $1.31 per share the same time last year.
The results include special charges related to the sale of land in Mexico and other costs, Colgate-Palmolive earned $1.38 per share. Revenue slipped 1% to $4.33 billion from $4.38 billion.
The company said that its global market share in toothpaste and manual toothbrushes are both at record high year to date. The company's share of the global toothpaste market strengthened to 44.9% year to date, up 0.6% points compared with a year ago.
The company's leadership in manual toothbrushes also was further fortified during the quarter, with Colgate's global market share in that category reaching 32.7% year to date, up 0.8 percent percentage points compared with a year ago.
North American revenue, which accounts for 18% of its business, rose 2.5% during the third quarter and prices edged up 0.5%. In Latin America, which makes up 29% of company sales, revenue were unchanged from a year ago and prices rose 5.5%.
Revenue from Europe and the South Pacific, which combined account for 20% of total business, fell 11%, while prices declined 1%. In greater Asia and Africa, which makes up about 20% of Colgate's revenue, revenue rose 5% during the third quarter, while prices increased 4%.
