UPDATE 1-Japan's Promise may cut staff more than 30 pct-media

* Consumer lender says mulling job cuts, no details decided

* Says to announce restructuring plans early 2010

* Shares up 0.1 pct vs 1.4 pct gain in the Nikkei average (Updates with company comment, more background)

TOKYO, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Struggling Japanese consumer lender Promise Co Ltd 8574.T may cut more than 30 percent of its staff as part of a restructuring plan, the Sankei newspaper reported.

Japanese consumer lenders, which offer unsecured personal loans mainly to borrowers with weak credit, have been crippled by regulation introduced in 2007 that lowered maximum interest rates and court rulings forcing them to repay charges beyond the new limits.

The government has begun looking at deregulation to help the sector, but some analysts said the industry needs immediate help.

Promise's headcount would fall below 2,000 from the current 2,769, the newspaper said, citing an interview with Ken Kubo, who was tapped to head the consumer lender last month. [ID:nT170645]

Promise spokeswoman Risa Matsumura said the company was considering job cuts but details had not been decided.

"We want to make specific plans by the end of this year," she said, adding that the company was planning to announce restructuring plans early next year.

The plans would include the sale or downsizing of group companies such as car repair firm Car Conveni Club, she said.

For the first six months of the current business year, Promise's net profit fell 23 percent compared with the same period last year. Rival Acom Co's (8572.T) profit slid 91 percent.

Rival Aiful Corp (8515.T) has announced it will cut half its staff and shut outlets in an attempt to restructure after warning of a $3.4 billion loss. [ID:nT55005].

Promise's shares, owned 39 percent by foreign investors, gained 0.1 percent while the benchmark Nikkei 225 average .N225 advanced 1.4 percent. (Reporting by Mariko Katsumura and Nathan Layne; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)