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By MEG RICHARDS, AP Business Writer

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US firms announced the smallest number of job cuts in nine months in March, an industry survey showed.

Planned job cuts fell to 68,034, down 12 percent from February and down 20 percent from last year, said the survey conducted for outplacement firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas.

It was the lowest figure since June 2003.

"The heavy job cutting we have seen over the past three years appears to be trending down," said the outplacement company's chief executive, John Challenger.

Latest government figures showed the economy created a four-year record of 308,000 new jobs in March, easily beating private forecasts for a net gain of 125,000.

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