TOKYO - JAPANESE carmaker Toyota Motor Corp. is considering shedding more than 1,000 regular workers in North America and in Britain, a report said on Friday.
Toyota is examining how it could make the cuts at its seven plants in North America and one plant in Britain, and is aiming to finalise the plan by the end of the month, the Japanese business daily Nikkei reported, citing an unnamed senior Toyota official.
The possible job cuts would be the first time Toyota has axed regular workers since 1950, when it laid off about 1,600 employees in Japan, the report said.
The report comes just days after sales figures showed that Toyota has dethroned Detroit rival General Motors as the world's top automaker.
However, the news was greeted without celebration in an industry badly hit by a global economic downturn that has sent demand for cars plunging.
A report earlier this week said Toyota was considering shedding 3,000 more temporary workers at its domestic plants because of worsening sales.
A spokesman for Toyota said he was not immediately able to confirm whether or not the report was true. -- AFP
