DHL Express to cut jobs in Ireland

DUBLIN (Reuters) - DHL Express (DPWGn.DE) will cut 320 jobs in Ireland following a downturn in its domestic delivery business, the company said on Thursday.

"DHL Express can confirm that it announced its intention today to reposition its business in Ireland, in an effort to adjust to the current economic environment," the Deutsche Post-owned group said in a statement.

Ireland's social welfare lines are ballooning as the economy heads into the second straight year of recession. The estimated unemployment rate rose to 11.4 percent in April and economists polled by Reuters expect it to hit 14 percent by the end of the year.

(Reporting by Carmel Crimmins; Editing by Richard Chang)