Stockholm - Swedish telecommunications equipment maker Ericsson on Friday posted a 46-per-cent drop in pre-tax income for first quarter 2008, but performed better than analysts had estimated.

Pre-tax income was 4.5 billion kronor (756 million dollars), down from 8.3 billion kronor in the corresponding business period 2007.

The group reported 44.2 billion kronor in sales for the quarter, up 5 per cent on the corresponding business quarter 2007.

"Our business developed well in the quarter, considering the present market environment and the declining US dollar," Chief Executive Carl-Henric Svanberg said in a statement.

Svanberg added that Ericsson expected sales in 2008 to remain flat for its mainstay mobile infrastructure products and was continuing with its previously announced programme to cut 4,000 jobs.

In Sweden it has said some 1,000 jobs were to be trimmed. The group has some 74,000 employees worldwide, of which 19,000 are in Sweden.

The weak US dollar continued to impact Ericsson. Sales were "picking up in the US while Western Europe remains slow," Ericsson said, noting growth also in Latin America and Asia Pacific. (dpa)