Jobwatch

FINE china manufacturer Royal Doulton announced it was to cut 1,000 jobs due to a sharp reduction in sales.

A spokeswoman said that most of the jobs would go from the company's ceramics plant in Stoke-on-Trent, and warned that there could be job losses at the firm's glass operations next year.

Most of the cuts will be compulsory and are expected to take effect as early as next January.

Mobile phone company Ericsson brought further gloom with the news that it was axing up to 10,000 jobs world-wide. A UK spokeswoman for the company said she had been given no details about how the cuts would affect British employees, but it is feared that job losses could hit the company's 3,500 strong British workforce.

Losses:

1 Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire: China manufacturer Royal Doulton is to axe 1,000 jobs. Most of the cuts will be made at its ceramics plant.

2 Apsley, Hertfordshire: David S Smith is to cut 400 jobs from its ailing paper and packaging operations. The company has already cut 400 jobs at its Aspley stationery business.

3 Leeds and Sheffield, Yorkshire: Regional Independent Media is axing up to 250 jobs at the Yorkshire Post, Yorkshire Evening Post and The Star, in Sheffield.

Gains:

4 East Kilbride, Scotland: American electronics company Smart Modular Technologies is creating 120 new jobs.

5 Glasgow: CallCentre Service, a subsidiary of Scottish Telecom, is to create 450 new jobs with a new call centre.

6 Durham: Kerry Foods is creating 130 positions for workers making chilled prepared meals.