pepsico inc is laying off workers at the headquarters of its north american snacks and beverages divisions a signal that corporate belttightening is extending beyond tech and media according to people familiar with the matter and documents reviewed by the wall street journal hundreds of jobs will be eliminated one of the people said the cuts affect the company’s north america beverage business which is based in purchase ny and its north america snacks and packagedfoods business which has headquarters in chicago and plano texas the people said in a memo sent to staff that was viewed by the journal pepsico told employees that the layoffs were intended “to simplify the organization so we can operate more efficiently” the cuts will be heavier in the beverage business because the snacks unit already has trimmed positions with a voluntary retirement program the people said pepsico pep makes doritos lays potato chips and quaker oats along with its namesake cola as of dec 25 last year pepsico employed about 309000 people worldwide including about 129000 people in the us an expanded version of this report appears on wsjcom this naturalgas bonanza is in the dumps couples who combine finances are happier so why don’t more do it