Employees likely to be laid off in annual culling were given hints in the form of small bonuses.

Goldman Sachs plans to trim its staffing by 3% to 5% in an annual performance review process this spring, said a source familiar with the matter who declined to be identified discussing personnel matters.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. is about to start its annual round of job cuts, moving the exercise to earlier in the year after previous reductions took place in the latter half.

Goldman Sachs is reportedly planning to trim its headcount by 3% to 5% during its annual performance review this spring, potentially leading to more than 1,300 job cuts, including under-performing vice presidents.