Smith International says cut 10 pct of workforce

NEW ORLEANS, March 23 (Reuters) - Oilfield services company Smith International Inc SII.N said on Monday it had cut about 10 percent of its workforce in response to the recent sharp downturn in drilling activity.

Chief Financial Officer Margaret Dorman told the Howard Weil Energy Conference in New Orleans that the cuts fell heavier on the North American market than other parts of the world, and that the Houston-based company might have to make further headcount reductions in the months ahead.

Smith employed 25,700 full-time employees worldwide at the end of 2008, according to a regulatory filing. (Reporting by Braden Reddall; editing by Richard Chang)