•Bosses at Greater Manchester NHS Trust plan to axe 210 jobs, two wards and two operating theatres in a bid to avoid a £7m deficit.

•Reed Elsevier, the Anglo-Dutch media group, is planning to axe more than 1,000 jobs as part of a continuing efficiency drive.

•Alliance & Leicester says that it is to cut 200-300 middle and back office jobs in the fallout from the US sub-prime mortgage crisis.

•IT giant Capgemini is to axe up to 450 staff who are employed on contract around the country with Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs.