May 19 (Reuters) -

Sportswear retailer Nike ( NKE ) is laying off some of its

employees in its technology division, a company representative

told Reuters on Monday.

Nike ( NKE ) will shift some of that work to third-party vendors,

the representative said in an email, adding that the changes

were announced last week.

The representative did not specify how many employees

were laid off. It is not immediately clear how many people work

in Nike's ( NKE ) technology division.

Bloomberg News first reported the development earlier on

Monday.

The Air Jordan maker in March forecast a steeper drop in

fourth-quarter revenue than analysts had expected, striking a

cautious tone as it works to rekindle interest among consumers

who have defected to trendier rivals.

Earlier this month, Nike ( NKE ) CEO Elliott Hill made several

changes to the senior leadership team. Hill took the helm in

October to lead a turnaround at a company that has lately

struggled to design new and innovative shoes.