DuPont to slash 6% of workforce

DuPont, the second biggest chemicals manufacturer in the US, announced yesterday that it will cut 3,500 jobs, or 6% of its workforce, in order to lower costs by $900m (£490m).

The reductions, scheduled to be completed by the end of this year, will mostly come from North America and Western Europe.

DuPont said that about 3,000 jobs will be eliminated through redundancy programmes and 500 through natural wastage.

Like other US chemicals makers, it has struggled with high energy and raw material costs caused by shrinking natural gas production and the war in Iraq.

DuPont's larger rival, Dow Chemical, was able to turn around its results last year by cutting 4,000 jobs, or 8% of its work force.

DuPont employs around 900 people at a textile for clothing manufacturing base in Derry.