National Semi to cut 200 jobs

National Semiconductor Corp., a maker of chips for such devices as Apple Inc.’s iPhone, said it planned to cut about 200 jobs after upgrading factories with more efficient machinery.

The cuts will cost about $20 million, with 60% of that going toward severance, and probably will occur by the end of March, the company said.

National, which is based in Santa Clara, Calif., has about 7,600 employees.

Most of the job losses will come in Texas and Scotland as National gets rid of older equipment.

National, which has posted five straight quarters of profit declines, has silicon-wafer plants in Arlington, Texas; Greenock, Scotland; and South Portland, Maine.

In the latest reported quarter, National Semiconductor’s gross profit margin widened to a record 64.4%, the fifth consecutive increase.