EU official asks to meet Microsoft on job losses

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Employment Commissioner Laszlo Andor said on Thursday he had asked to meet Microsoft officials to get more information about the firm's plans to cut up to 18,000 jobs and on what measures it plans to ease the social consequences. Andor said he deeply regretted the job losses and said company restructuring should be done in a socially responsible way. "I have asked to meet with Microsoft representatives as soon as possible in order to get more information on the planned redundancies and the measures to alleviate the social consequences, as well as to explore how to mobilize EU funding in support of the workers concerned," he said in a statement. (Reporting by Adrian Croft; editing by Barbara Lewis)