OSAKA -- More than 3,000 employees applied for early retirement programs offered by about 30 domestic subsidiaries of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., exceeding initial expectations, company officials said Tuesday.

Most of the applicants had already retired by the end of July, the officials said.

The subsidiaries include 22 regional sales units due to be merged into a single entity by October as well as Matsushita Leasing Co. and Matsushita Credit Co., which will also merge later this year.