Toy giant Mattel to cut 1 000 jobs

New York - The US toy manufacturer Mattel, the maker of Barbie dolls and Fisher-Price toys, announced on Thursday it would cut a thousand jobs worldwide due to higher production costs and the economic crisis.

Mattel, the world's largest toy maker, said the cuts amounted to 3.0 percent of its workforce and would include lay-offs, eliminating open positions and retirements.

The California-based company has suffered from the inflation of the price of raw materials amid the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.

The company has already cut 170 jobs at its El Segundo headquarters, said spokesperson Lisa Marie Bongiovanni.

The restructuring comes in the lead up to the normally busy holiday season, with toy merchants having to cut prices to sustain sales.

In a statement Mattel blamed the cuts on the financial downturn, describing the turmoil as one of the most turbulent economic periods in the last 100 years.

- AFP