FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Deutsche Bank (>> Deutsche Bank AG) said it was reducing its workforce by 15,000 as new Chief Executive John Cryan seeks to improve returns at Germany's biggest bank.

The lender said it would axe 9,000 full-time jobs and 6,000 external contractor positions.

Separately, it plans to dispose of assets with a 4-billion-euro ($4.37 billion) cost base and 20,000 jobs over the next 24 months.

People familiar with the matter told Reuters last month that as part of its revamp, Deutsche aims to cut about 23,000jobs, or roughly a quarter of its workforce, by reducing technology activities and spinning off its Postbank (>> Deutsche Postbank AG)unit.

(Reporting by Arno Schuetze; Editing by Maria Sheahan)

Stocks treated in this article : Deutsche Bank AG, Deutsche Postbank AG