THE high-tech slowdown has claimed another victim as Japanese electronics giant Hitachi announced plans to cut 14,700 jobs.

Nearly all of the losses, 14,650, will be in Asia and the company has not disclosed where the remaining cuts will be. But a spokeswoman said they were likely to be in Europe, where Hitachi employs about 5,000 people.

Its European headquarters are based in Maidenhead, although it also has offices in Slough, Buckinghamshire and London and a laboratory in Cambridge.

Hitachi also has a number of manufacturing plants in the UK, including sites in Bolton, Telford and Hirwaun, Mid Glamorgan, in Wales, which was earmarked for closure last month with the possible loss of 174 jobs.

The group said its 341,000-strong global workforce would be slimmed down by April.

Hitachi also revised its full-year forecast, predicting losses of £857m instead of its earlier forecast of profits of £540m.

Hitachi said its business was hurt by the weak demand for electronic devices such as semiconductors and displays.

The spokeswoman was unable to say where in Europe the 50 cuts would happen, although she conceded the closure of Hirwaun could possibly cover the losses.