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Toyota to Cut 1,000 Full-Time Jobs

After reporting that the financial year ending in March may bring the first ever operating loss, Toyota is getting ready for even tougher times. The Japanese carmaker is considering a 1,000 full-time job cuts in North America and United Kingdom, Autonews wrote today quoting a Toyota insider. The announcement has not been made public yet but, according to the aforementioned source, Toyota plans to go beyond cutting temporary and contract staff to laying off full-time workers at facilities located in the two markets.

But despite all these plans, Toyota doesn't plan to involuntarily cut jobs but to rely on early retirement and voluntary programs, according to Reuters source. As mentioned, Toyota did not comment the rumors but stated that, taking into account the current market conditions, such a decision would be understandable.

"No decisions have been finalized. However, current business conditions are not forcing us to make involuntary reductions of Toyota team members,” Toyota spokesman Mike Goss said in a statement, according to Autonews.

Contrary to what you may expect from these gloomy plans, Toyota earlier this week became the world's number one carmaker as it managed to overtake General Motors in 2008 sales. With approximately 9 million units delivered last year, Toyota was crowned the largest car manufacturer, despite the 4 percent drop in sales recorded in 2008.

On the other hand, Toyota plans to rely on hybrids more than in the previous years. The Japanese manufacturer yesterday announced a new certification program supposed to lure interested buyers and improve the market image of its models.

“The program is a great way to increase awareness of certified used hybrid vehicles," said TCUV Marketing Manager, Steve Gallagher. "As more hybrids enter the used vehicle marketplace, Toyota Certified Hybrids offer high-quality options to customers interested in purchasing these fuel-efficient vehicles."
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
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Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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