TOKYO - TOYATO Motor Corp plans to halve recruitment of full-time workers in the next fiscal year starting in April to around 1,800 employees, the Nikkei business newspaper reported on Thursday.

The hiring cut is aimed at reducing personnel costs to deal with falling earnings at the nation's top automaker, which is suffering from a slump in global sales, the report said, quoting unnamed sources.

It will be the first time in seven years that the major Japanese automaker hires fewer than 2,000 full-time employees, and compares to about 3,600 full-time workers Toyota is taking on this financial year, the Nikkei said.

Toyota has also slashed thousands of temporary jobs as it braces for its first ever loss. -- AFP