The Federal Government will try to retrieve taxpayers' money given to Pacific Brands in view of the company's decision to slash 1850 jobs, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said on Friday.

Public outrage over the sackings, to be carried out over the next 18 months, is increasing as Pacific Brands prepares to send its manufacturing operations out of Australia.

"I think what Pacific Brands has done is, frankly, in so many respects, beyond the pale," Mr Rudd said on Fairfax Radio Network.

"In terms of the money they have got from the government, we will go through all of that in terms of what can be extracted back from them."

According to Michele O'Neil, national secretary of the Textile Clothing and Footwear Union, Pacific Brands had accepted $17 million from the federal government over the past two years.