Budapest - Clothing giant Levi-Strauss confirmed on Friday that it will close its Hungarian plant by the end of June with the loss of 549 jobs.

The factory in the small southern town of Kiskunhalas has been turning out the company's iconic denim jeans since 1988, when Hungary was still a communist state.

The US clothing company told the local news agency MTI that it had agreed a severance package with its Hungarian workers.

Over 30,000 jobs have been lost in Hungary since the effects of the global financial crisis hit the country hard last October.

The Levi-Strauss closure brings the total job losses this week to over 1,000. (dpa)