Nissan to cut domestic production

Nissan Motor Co. said it will reduce domestic production by an additional 78,000 vehicles from January 2009 as auto demand is dwindling at a faster pace than the company expected. This is on top of the domestic output cutback of 72,000 vehicles from December 2008, and is the latest additional output reduction by a Japanese carmaker since all eight manufacturers announced steps to scale back output and shed jobs in the past month amid the global economic slowdown. Japan’s third-largest automaker by volume also said it will reduce its domestic short-term work force by 500 people in the first quarter of 2009. (December 17, 2008)