Belfast aerospace company Shorts announced this evening that it is facing cutting 460 jobs from its workforce.
The company, part of the Canadian Bombardier aircraft company group, warned almost a year ago that it may have to cut up to 2,000 jobs as part of restructuring caused by the downturn in the aircraft industry caused by the September 11th terrorist attacks in the US.
Shorts said it had advised the trade unions and employees today that "a further 461 jobs were surplus to requirements".
The job losses are on top of 416 permanent posts and 527 temporary workers and sub-contractors who have left through voluntary or compulsory redundancy already.
But the company said those going were "significantly less" that the number of workers jobs first thought to be at risk post-September 11th because of efforts to keep losses to a minimum.
The company, which currently employs 6,600 in aircraft design and production in Belfast, said it hoped to reduce the 461 figure of job losses during a formal 90-day consultation period with the trade unions.
It was hoped to do so by repatriating work currently contracted out, re-designating and retraining workers for other jobs within the company.
PA