American tech giant IBM delivered an upbeat annual sales forecast on Wednesday while announcing that it would eliminate about 1.5 per cent of its global workforce. The reductions will amount to a “ballpark” figure of 3,900, Chief Financial Officer James Kavanaugh said in an interview. The cuts will focus on workers remaining after spinning off the Kyndryl and Watson Health units and will cost the company about $300 million, he said. IBM still expects to hire in the “higher-growth areas,” Kavanaugh said.