TOKYO - JAPANESE carmaker Toyota Motor Corp plans to cut 3,000 temporary jobs at its domestic plants in response to worsening sales, a company spokesman said on Friday.

'We will not be renewing contracts for 3,000 of our temporary workers at the end of March 2009,' the spokesman said. 'There are various reasons including sluggish sales and the current economic conditions.' The cuts amount to half of Toyota's 6,000 temporary domestic workers.

Toyota executives said last month that it was unlikely to renew the contracts of 3,000 temporary workers at its domestic plants.

Other Japanese carmakers have also been reducing their numbers of contract workers.

Mazda, Japan's fifth largest carmaker, said on Thursday it would scrap 1,300 temporary jobs, while Isuzu said it would axe 1,400 domestic posts. -- AFP