MCI may cut 1,875 jobs in effort to trim costs

NEW YORK MCI WorldCom Inc., the newly formed telecommunicationscompany, plans to lay off about 1,875 workers, or 2.5 percent of itswork force, as part of an effort to slash $2.5 billion in costs nextyear, an industry source familiar with the situation said today.

MCI WorldCom Chief Executive Bernard Ebbers is known for movingswiftly to cut costs in newly acquired companies. MCI and WorldComcompleted their $37 billion deal three months ago in one of thenation's largest telecommunications mergers, forming a formidablerival to AT&T Corp. and other dominant players.

The new company is the nation's second-largest long-distanceprovider behind AT&T after fusing No. …