Thousands of jobs are at risk as firms in Britain feel the pinch from the economic downturn.

Virgin Media, Yell and Glaxo Smith Kline have revealed redundance plans over the next few years, Sky news reported yesterday.

Cable group Virgin Media, which has 76 offices across Britain, said up to 2,200 jobs will be cut by 2012 as part of an overhaul, with the majority going by 2010. Nonetheless, it added that the job cuts will not begin for another year.

Earlier, Yellow Pages firm Yell said it expected to cut another1,300 jobs across the company within next year to save an annual cost of 100 million pounds (US$154 million) by the end of March 2010.

Meanwhile, Glaxo Smith Kline, the world's second largest drug-maker, has revealed plans to close its factory in Dartford, southeast Britain in 2013 with the loss of 620 jobs.

The pharmaceutical giant used to employed 3,000 people at the site 10 years ago. It cited termination of patents as the cause for closure.

In July the firm announced that its Sussex site would close in 2011 with the loss of 493 jobs.

London-based technology firm Psion would also lose 200 jobs after companies put off IT projects to save money.

To make matters worse, new figures show that consumer confidence has dipped as retail sales fell to the worst for three years. High street shops have resorted to earlier sales in the expectation of a better result before Christmas.