Chicago spared more LaSalle layoffs

LaSalle Bank Corp. is cutting 100 more jobs than previously announced, but none of the additional reductions will come from the Chicago area. The North American arm of Netherlands-based ABN Amro Bank N.V. began layoffs earlier this year, and a spokeswoman said all of the 1,000 affected staff will have been notified of their fates by mid-July, according to Crain's Chicago Business. The reductions are in all areas of the banking operations and at all major locations. As previously announced in December, 500 of the cuts would come from the Chicago area. LaSalle Bank initially announced in December that it was reducing staff by about 900 in 2007 to better focus its resources on core business and client relationships. The financial institution has been seeking ways to lower expenses and improve profitability. The job cuts have nothing to do with the bidding war going on in Europe over ABN Amro and subsidiaries between several large banks, including Bank of America, LaSalle said.