Sony Ericsson to slash 20 per cent of staff

Sony Ericsson plans to cut one in five jobs this year in its battle to return to profit in a sluggish market.

The world's number four mobile phone maker refused to say where the axe would fall, but it will cut 2,000 jobs this year after shedding a similar number in 2008. It employs about 250 staff in the UK, in London and Hampshire. Sony Ericsson posted a hefty €370m (£327m) loss in its first quarter, but it said it saw signs of a stabilisation in demand, echoing comments made by the market leader, Nokia, a day earlier.