High-tech staff losses

The reeling high-tech industry shed another 236,000 jobs last year, continuing a two-year purge that shows few signs of easing, according to an industry report.

The nation's tech employment totalled 5.15 million jobs at the end of 2002, a 4 per cent drop from 5.38 million jobs at the year's outset.

Since January 2001, high-tech employers have dumped 560,000 workers to pare their payrolls by 10 per cent, the report says.