The job losses equate to 2.5% of the bank's workforce

The company said the move was part of its ongoing integration of FleetBoston Financial, which it bought last year.

Bank of America, the largest retail bank in the US, said the cuts would not violate any job-retention agreements made as part of the takeover.

The news came on the same day as the bank was hit with a $10bn (�5.6bn) lawsuit over its alleged role in the fall of Italian food giant Parmalat.

Administrators at Parmalat, which collapsed with debts of 14.3bn euros ($17.6bn; �9.9bn) in December last year, accuse Bank of America of helping the Parma-based firm hide its true financial picture.

Cost-cutting

The announcement of job losses at the bank did not surprise analysts.

"No one really believes they weren't going to have any lay-offs," said Chris Marinac, an analyst with FIG Partners in Atlanta.

"They have some large cost savings that need to achieved."

Bank of America said the cuts stemmed from the combination of consumer banking, consumer products and small business banking units last month.

Despite assurances that the loses would not violate agreements, the North Carolina-based company has already come under fire for possible redundancies in New England, where FleetBoston had its headquarters.

Bank of America first announced in October 2003 that it would buy FleetBoston for $47bn.