Jacksonville, Florida-based Fidelity National Financial  confirmed it has dismissed about 1,500 employees from the recently-acquired LandAmerica Financial Group.

Fidelity National and First American, the top two companies in the industry, are slashing jobs in the worst housing slump since the Great Depression. The firms, along with LandAmerica, cut at least 18,000 positions since 2003.

Fidelity National today posted a Q4 loss of $1.7 million, its second consecutive unprofitable quarter.

US foreclosure filings surged 81% in 2008, as more than 2.3 million properties got a default or auction notice or were seized by lenders.