According to the Guardian, Nissan has announced plans to cut 20,000 jobs worldwide by March 2010. As previously reported, Nissan have already made 1,200 British based workers redundant in response to plummeting sales and the credit crunch.
The news appears consistent with Nissan's forecast for the end-of-year accounts - a net loss of ¥265bn (£1.95bn) compared with their earlier forecast of ¥160bn profit. The end-of-year accounts represent the first loss in over a decade for the Japanese car and van maker.
Nissan's Chief Executive, Carlos Ghosn, blamed "a slump in consumer confidence and a freeze on credit for the worst of his firm's problems" according to the Guardian (9 February 2009). Ghosn confirmed that Nissan would cut 8.5% of Nissan's 235,000 strong workforce.
Nissan make the Primastar, Interstar and Navara vans amongst others together with the Micra, Qashqai & 350Z cars.
