"The Finnish government on Thursday criticized Microsoft Corp for its latest job cuts in the Nordic country, saying it had failed to keep promises made two years ago of making Finland a hub and keeping research and development jobs.

Earlier this week Microsoft said it would cut up to 1,850 jobs, 1,350 of them in Finland, in a move essentially seen as putting an end to the company's development of new phones."

"The decline of Nokia's former phone business and the lack of substitute jobs is the main reason for Finland's current economic stagnation."

http://mobile.nytimes.com/reuters/2016/05/26/business/26reuters-finland-government-microsoft.html?partner=IFTTT&_r=1&referer=http://m.windowscentral.com/finnish-government-says-microsoft-failed-country-after-more-layoffs

Shame on you M$, you've single handedly broke a whole country. 😐

They should start selling fresh air from Finland to China. Time to start bottling air.

http://www.salon.com/2015/12/25/bottled_air_from_canada_is_selling_like_crazy_in_china_partner/

I agree why did they bought them in the first place if they close them down, and then again why did the EU allow the sale of nokia?

I personally think that Microsoft picked up Nokia to acquire its patents, and then let it intentionally die as part of the acquisition required windows phone to carry the Nokia branding for the Lumia phones. By letting sales stagnate they are able to acquire the patents, utilize an escape clause and essentially relaunch windows phone with MS branding while simultaneously destroying a subsidiary after they had no further use. This is what Google did with Motorola mobile. Note how Ms has reaffirmed that they are not exiting the mobile sector. 

I'm sure that was their intention, but they can't exactly stick with it if it's not catching on and is losing them money... While it always sucks to see people lose their jobs, the Finnish government getting all fussy like this is rather embarrassing... they act as if this was a charity and not a business venture.

I live in Tasmania and  cape grim on the nw tip of the island  has  recorded the worlds cleanest air , I should market it. 

I suppose. The seems like a pricey move just to obtain some patents though. Considering they're reatreating to only about 18 markets or so.

If the Finnish govt gave MS some tax breaks or other concessions in exchange for an undertaking to bring long term employment to the country, possibly as a condition of the purchase of Nokia, then they probably have some justification for being pissed at MS. However if the Nokia deal was a purely private sector matter with no govt concessions or financial sweeteners then too bad. MS has no particular duty to Finland, they have a duty to their shareholders and anyone with whom they have entered into a contractual agreement.

Well, I mean, wasn't Nokia's mobile division in deep, deep trouble and dragging the entire company down? Isn't this something that probably would have happened anyway?