Up to 600 staff at Arup could lose their jobs as public sector projects are cancelled

On Monday the engineering giant told staff it was beginning a 90-day consultation that 鈥渕ay affect up to 600 employees鈥�.

A spokesperson said the decision was taken in the light of public sector projects being cancelled or put on hold.

The company said: 鈥淲e continue to operate in a period of uncertainty in the economy.

鈥淎rup - like any responsible business - needs to ensure its long-term business health, which means that it is essential that we match our resources to our current and anticipated workload.鈥�

The firm said it had been hit by a weak market and the cuts in government expenditure.