...But 7,000 jobs on razor edge globally

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New York, Nov 20 : Layoffs are turning out to be the flavour of the week, with European auto makers-Peugeot Citroen and Rolls Royce, General Motors’ Thailand arm British pharma giant AstraZeneca and American defence equipment manufacturer Boeing all set to slash nearly 7,000 jobs.

The latest announcements to cut 7,000 jobs came within a span of two days, and closely follow the financial services behemoth Citigroup’s decision to cut over 52,000 jobs.

Peugeot Citroen would be bringing down its head count by 2,700, while Rolls Royce would be slashing 2,000 jobs. General Motors in Thailand will halt assembly for two months and shed 250 staff due to slow demand Further, AstraZeneca is planning to axe 1,400 positions, and Boeing has said it would cut 800 jobs.

French auto major Peugeot Citroen would be curtailing its workforce by 2,700 employees mainly due to falling volumes in European markets. The volume decline has been triggered by the financial turmoil and industrial crisis.

“The Central Works Council (CWC) of Peugeot Citron Automobiles is called to attend an extraordinary session on December 2, 2008 to examine a Skills and Jobs Redeployment

Project, based on voluntary departures. “It concerns a head count reduction at all sites and in all group departments and will concern 2,700 employees in the organisation,” the firm said in a statement on Thursday.

Moreover, Rolls Royce which also manufactures aeroplane engines, plans to slash around 1,500 to 2,000 jobs next year. “.

.. the Group’s current assessment is that in 2009, it will be necessary to implement job reductions across various sectors and functions of around 1,500 to 2,000 on a worldwide basis...,” the company said in a statement. It would include the proposed reduction of 140 jobs at its Assembly and Test facility in Derby, UK, which forms part of the Group’s Civil Aerospace business.

AstraZeneca in a statement today said it would exit three sites—Porrino in Spain, Destelbergen in Belgium and Umea in Sweden—and added that roles would be affected at its facilities in Macclesfield in the UK and Sodertalje in Sweden.

“These moves will result in a net reduction across the business of 1,400 positions by 2013, subject to local consultations,” the pharma firm noted.

In yet another round of layoffs in the US, Boeing has said it would cut about 800 jobs at its Integrated Defense Systems facility in Wichita during 2009.