Sept 24 (Reuters) - Dulux paint maker Akzo Nobel

plans to cut about 2,000 jobs globally, more than 5%

of its workforce, as part of its efforts to reduce costs,

targeting positions in its head offices, the Dutch company said

on Tuesday.

"We will be simplifying our structure, our processes,

reducing cost of administrative functions," Akzo Nobel's senior

spokesperson told Reuters, with positions in finance or global

business services at the head offices to be affected.

Akzo Nobel, which had around 35,700 employees as of June 30,

said the job cuts would be finalised by the end of 2025.

The Amsterdam-listed group late last year announced a cost

saving "industrial transformation" plan, aiming for a 250

million euros ($278 million) benefit by 2027, following a

post-COVID slowdown marked by rising raw material costs and

customer destocking in its decorative do-it-yourself segment in

Europe.

Related to this, it announced plant closures in May in

Ireland, the Netherlands and Zambia.

The Akzo Nobel shares have dropped around 21% so far this

year, mirroring an industry-wide slump, with rivals PPG

and Nippon Paint ( NPCPF ) down 14.9% and 20.9% respectively.

American paint maker Sherwin-Williams ( SHW ), which raised

its full-year earnings forecast in July supported by higher

pricing and increased sales, has meanwhile gained more than 22%

year-to-date, an outlier in an otherwise sluggish environment.​

Akzo did not have a specific estimate on how much costs

would be saved with the job cuts, the spokesperson said, adding

that part-time positions could also be affected.

Its shares were up 0.9% by 0910 GMT.

($1 = 0.8994 euros)