Chrysler foresees no significant jobs cuts in its operations in Europe, Middle East and Africa but has put a freeze on new hires for the time being, a company official said on Wednesday.


Chrysler on Tuesday requested another US$2bn in US federal loans on top of $7m already requested and submitted a restructuring plan that included reducing capacity and 3,000 job cuts to the US Treasury.


“I can’t confirm that there will not be any layoffs, but I don’t see any significant layoffs (in Europe, Middle East or Africa), but there is a freeze on hiring with exceptions,” Thomas Hausch, vice president of international sales, told Reuters in Dubai.


Sales in the Middle East grew 18% year on year in 2008 slowing from 24% in 2007, Hausch added.