Cincinnati, Ohio -- (AP) -- The Procter & Gamble Co. plans to cut about 9,600 jobs worldwide, or about 9 percent of its work force, as it tries to become more competitive and accelerate its sales and earnings growth.

About 40 percent of the job cuts announced Thursday will be in the United States. Combined with remaining reductions announced earlier in P&G's reorganization, the cuts total 17,400. The company currently employs about 110,000 people. One-third of the job cuts will come from manufacturing, and those reductions are expected to include plant closings and consolidations. Company officials declined to elaborate.

The announcement followed reports a day earlier that Procter was considering eliminating up to 20 percent of its work force in response to the economic downturn.