BRUSSELS - UNEMPLOYMENT in the 15 nations using the euro nudged higher in November to 7.8 per cent - the highest in nearly two years, according to official EU data on Thursday.

The rate, the highest since December 2006, was up from 7.7 per cent in October and 7.2 per cent in November 2007, revised data from the European Union's Eurostat agency showed.

After gradually falling in recent years to a record low of 7.2 per cent in March, unemployment in the eurozone countries began creeping higher last April in the face of a deteriorating economic outlook.

In the 27-nation EU as a whole, the unemployment rate ticked higher in November to 7.2 per cent from 7.1 percent in October, and from 6.9 per cent in November 2007.

Eurostat estimated that 17.466 million workers were without a job in October throughout the EU, including 12.180 million in the eurozone.

Dell to cut Ireland jobs, move some to Poland

DUBLIN - DELL, the world's No. 2 PC maker, will cut about 1,900 of 3,000 jobs at its manufacturing plant in Limerick in the west of Ireland and move many of them to Poland.

Dell, which ranks itself as Ireland's largest exporter, largest technology company and second-largest company overall, said on Thursday it would move production of computer systems for customers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa to its Polish plant and third-party manufacturing partners.

The move, part of a US$3 billion (S$4.45 billion) cost-reduction plan announced last year, is yet another blow for the Irish economy and comes just three days after Waterford Wedgwood, one of Ireland's premier luxury brands, called in receivers.

Dell is a major employer in Limerick, a relatively impoverished area, and thousands of jobs in businesses supporting the U S giant could also be at risk.

Japan Airlines to cut 1,640 jobs by 2011

TOKYO - JAPAN Airlines, facing a profit slump this year, expects to shed 1,640 jobs by March 2011 as part of efforts to boost efficiency, a company spokesman said on Thursday.

JAL will shrink the workforce at its main international unit through reduced hiring and natural attrition, said company spokesman Stephen Pearlman.

It will also shift some workers to positions elsewhere in the group, reducing the number of employees at the international division to 14,100, down from 16,240 as of the end of last month, he said.

The company is working to increase the efficiency of existing staff 'and as a result the numbers that are required, certainly in terms of new hires, will go down,' the spokesman said.

JAL warned in November that its operating profits would slump 69 per cent in the current financial year to March, hammered by high fuel costs and a tough economic climate.

Spanish jobless tops 3m, hits 12-yr high

MADRID - SPAIN'S number of jobless leapt more than expected in December to top 3 million for the first time in over 12 years and the government said unemployment would swell further in 2009.

The number of people out of work jumped by 139,694 people, the ninth straight month of increases, government data showed on Thursday.

The Labour Ministry's tally of 3.13 million jobless nearly matches totals in much larger economies such as Germany, where the December figure was 3.18 million.

Since December last year, Spain's registered jobless has soared by 999,416 people or 46.9 per cent as the global credit crunch toppled a decade-long housing boom and hammered spending in Spanish shops.

Analysts had expected Spanish joblessness to rise sharply in December, as the euro zone's fourth largest economy entered its first recession in 15 years, but were surprised by the increase which was four times higher than the year-earlier month.

'This figure was worse than we expected. We're expecting some bad months, especially in the first half of the year. Right now, it doesn't look like the situation will get any better,' said Mr Sergio Diaz Valverde, economist at Caja Madrid.

TDK to cut 8,000 jobs
TOKYO - JAPANESE electronic component maker TDK Corp said on Thursday that it was cutting 8,000 jobs and closing four plants overseas to cope with the economic crisis.

The move comes amid a wave of global layoffs by companies struggling to cope with slumping consumer spending in recession-hit major economies.

'We are planning to cut 8,000 jobs, mainly abroad,' the spokesman said.

The announcement came shortly after TDK forecast a net loss of 28 billion yen (S$447 million) for the financial year to March 2009 due to weak sales and the stronger yen.

'Since the beginning of the third quarter, the company's orders have fallen more dramatically than expected,' TDK said in a statement.

TDK, which bought German electronic component maker Epcos last year, said it expected orders to remain weak in the last fiscal quarter and for the yen to stay strong, reducing its overseas earnings.

Lenovo to cut 2,500 jobs

HONG KONG - CHINESE computer giant Lenovo announced on Thursday it would cut about 2,500 jobs, roughly 11 per cent of its worldwide workforce, after suffering losses due to the global economic crisis.

The company said in a statement that the 'resource redeployment plan' would help save US$300 million (S$443 million) in the financial year ending March 31, 2010.

'The company expects to reduce the number of its employees worldwide by 2,500 during the first quarter of 2009, approximately 11 per cent of its total workforce,' it said, adding that the cuts would include management and executive positions.

Mr Yang Yuanqing, Lenovo's board chairman, said in the statement: 'Although the integration of the IBM PC business for the past three years was a success, our last quarter's performance did not meet our expectations.'

'We are taking these actions now to ensure that in the uncertain economy, our business operates as efficiently and effectively as possible, and continues to grow in the future,' said Mr Yang.

Fiat announces white-collar layoffs

MILAN - THE Italian automaker Fiat Group SpA's layoff plans are now hitting white-collar workers.

Fiat informed unions this week that 1,800 white-collar workers will be temporarily laid off for the first week of February, and 1,500 during the second week, the company confirmed on Thursday.

That is in addition to 48,000 blue-collar workers - more than half of the Italian work force - who were temporarily laid off until the middle of January. Workers at a Naples plant also will be laid off into February.

The monthlong shutdown of most of its Italian plants during the holiday season was unprecedented for the Turin-based automaker, which like the rest of the industry is trying to cope with the huge drop in demand for new cars.

Under the temporary layoff scheme, part of the workers' salaries are paid by a government-administered fund that includes industry contributions.

AP, AFP, THOMSON REUTERS