Fujitsu has announced it is to cut up to 1,200 IT services jobs in the UK this year in a bid to reduce costs.

Japanese technology giant Fujitsu has announced it will cut up to 1,200 IT services jobs in the UK by the end of 2009.

The economic downturn and projected low revenues have been given the blame for the job losses.

Fujitsu joins a growing number of IT companies reducing staff numbers in the UK, including IBM and Capgemini.

The company, which currently employs 12,500 people in the UK, said in a statement made yesterday (26 August) that this measure has been taken reluctantly but was decided as an appropriate response to the lower than anticipated revenues.

Fujitsu said: “Action is necessary to ensure that the company remains competitive in the current global economic climate and is in a solid position for future growth when the economy starts to recover.”

The firm has already implemented a company-wide pay freeze and a reduction in the number of contractors and temporary staff, in an attempt to cut costs.

In May, Fujitsu announced that it would no longer offer final-salary pension schemes to existing employees in the UK.

Fujitsu Limited reported consolidated revenues of ¥4.6 trillion (£29 billion) in the fiscal year ended 31 March 2009.