Toyota cut 20 percent of Japan staff: report

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) cut its contracted work force in Japan by 20 percent in the six months through September, Nikkei Business News reported.

The report on Nikkei's website said the automaker, facing reduced production and weakening U.S. sales, employed about 8,800 temporary factory workers in Japan at the end of March, but reduced the number to 6,800 by September 30 through steps that included a hiring freeze.

About 1,500 workers were let go or reassigned in the last three months, the report said, adding that if domestic and U.S. sales continued to decline, Toyota was likely to keep the hiring freeze in place.

(Editing by Richard Chang)