CORRECTED - CORRECTED-Japan's Pioneer plans to cut 5 pct of workforce-media

(Corrects paragraph four to ...in March... not last week)

TOKYO, May 13 (Reuters) - Japanese consumer electronics maker Pioneer Corp (6773.T: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) plans to slash nearly 5 percent of its workforce, or about 2,000 jobs, as part of the restructuring of its struggling plasma television operations, the Nikkei business daily reported on Tuesday.

Pioneer spokesman Kohei Iwamoto said the company may mention job reductions when it announces its earnings results at 3 p.m. (0600 GMT), but denied it would cut 2,000 employees. He declined to elaborate.

Pioneer is the world's fifth-biggest plasma TV maker, but it has been struggling to compete with larger rivals such as plasma industry leader Matsushita Electric Industrial Co (6752.T: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and LG Electronics (066570.KS: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), which can leverage economies of scale.

The company in March predicted a loss for a fourth straight year in the year ended March because of the costs of scrapping plasma display production as it rejigs its strategy in the cut-throat flat TV market. It had previously forecast a profit.

The Nikkei said the job cuts would take place in 2008/09 and likely come mainly from three domestic plants. The company would carry out the cuts through early retirement and other measures, the paper said. (Reporting by Sachi Izumi; Editing by Chris Gallagher)