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The figure represents one-fifth of the company's workforce, many of whom may be considering trying to earn extra money by investing in the stock market.
It is the first time since Nissan began operating in the UK that the company has cut the number of permanent staff.
Lord Mandelson, the business minister, pledged the government's assistance to those who will lose their jobs
Nissan's senior vice-president for European manufacturing, Trevor Mann, said: "Sunderland is operating in extraordinary circumstances not of our making. It is essential we take the right action now to ensure we are in a viable position once business conditions return to normal."
The company said it hoped many redundancies could be made on a voluntarily basis.
In related news, data from the US showed that new car sales in the country have fallen to a 16-year low, according to the Daily Telegraph.
