JOB cuts have not yet been implemented at Intel in Swindon, despite last week's announcement that the company's global workforce is to be reduced by 4,000.

A spokeswoman at Intel's European headquarters in Pipers Way, which employs about 750 people, said she was not aware of any job cuts being implemented.

She said: "It is possible some temporary contracts have not been renewed for whatever reason, but it is not connected to last week's announcement about which, I would reiterate, it is too early to know if or when the Swindon-based operation could be affected."

Intel, the world's biggest computer chip-maker, said last week that staff reductions were expected to be completed by the end of this year.

The company said the move was due to the downturn in the personal computer market and a slowdown in corporation spending in information technology.

Intel spokesman Graham Palmer said the scaledown represented about five per cent of the total workforce and this would probably be reflected across Europe, Africa and Middle East.

"Due to business conditions, through the rest of the year, it is planned to reduce Intel's worldwide number of employees by 4,000," he said.

"Currently the number of people we employ globally is 83,000. The cuts will be determined by business needs and it is too early to identify specific location reductions. I would emphasise this is not a question of 4,000 layoffs."