Twelve car and truck makers plan to shed more than 23,890 nonregular workers amid slumping auto sales and production cuts, a Kyodo News tally showed Friday.
The figure compares with 15,360 in the previous survey as of mid-December, meaning the companies have stepped up job cuts by some 8,500 in just one month.
Honda Motor Co. and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. separately announced the same day they will shed additional nonregular workers. Honda will ax about 3,200 jobs and Mitsubishi 1,800.
Hino Motors Ltd., a Tokyo-based truck maker, also revealed a cut of an additional 700 nonregular workers at all of its three domestic plants.