Caterpillar to lay off another 2,500 workers

Caterpillar Inc., gearing down production even further in response to still-eroding global demand, disclosed plans Tuesday to idle an additional 2,454 U.S. workers, including 1,726 in Illinois.

The Peoria-based heavy-equipment giant has already announced 22,000 job cuts worldwide, with a good portion of those cuts in Caterpillar’s home state.

Now it is making additional longterm layoffs in Auroroa and East Peoria, although most of those workers will be able to return to work when demand improves in the future.

Source: Chicago Tribune

Dell cutting jobs in North Carolina, Texas

Dell Inc is cutting more jobs this week as it continues to retool operations.

Dell declined on Wednesday to disclose how many people it is laying off, saying only that they are taking place at its assembly facility in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and in Central Texas.

Dell spokesman declined to say what other locations might also see job cuts. Dell’s headcount stood at 78,900 as of Jan. 30.

Source: Reuters

Renishaw announces 500 job cuts

Measuring equipment maker Renishaw has announced it is cutting 500 jobs, with the majority of the losses set to go in the UK.

The group has experienced an “unprecedented” slowdown in demand for its products in recent months, forcing it to take action to cut costs.

Renishaw, which employs 2,240 people around the world, said most of its 1,500-strong UK workforce is based at four Gloucestershire sites.

Source: Press Association

United Technologies to Cut 11,600 Jobs Worldwide

United Technologies Corp. plans to cut 11,600 jobs as the global recession and credit crunch lead to lower sales and profit than previously projected by the maker of Otis elevators and Carrier air conditioners.

The company also will reduce its share buyback plan by 50 percent to $1 billion, Hartford, Connecticut-based United Technologies said in a statement today.

Source: Bloomberg

Eastman Chemical cutting up to 300 jobs

Eastman Chemical Co. on Monday said it will take a $30 million charge as it cuts up to 300 jobs and reduces salaries, in an effort to trim costs and keep its dividend and lowered capital spending plans intact.

This marks the second round of cost cutting in the last four months for the Kingsport, Tenn.-based maker of chemicals, coatings, adhesives and specialty plastics products. In December, it said it was reducing contractors, part-time labor, management and its maximum vacation carry-over amount.

Source: AP

Steel maker ArcelorMittal idling Cleveland plant

Steel maker ArcelorMittal plans to suspend operations at its Cleveland site in early May amid a declining market for steel and lay off about 700 more workers for an undetermined length of time, a local union official said Saturday.

About 450 of the roughly 1,400 members of the United Steelworkers of America Local 979 already have been laid off in the past three months, Local 979 vice president Dan Boone said.

Source: AP

Deere & Co to lay off 325 workers this month

BOSTON, March 6 (Reuters) – Deere & Co, the world’s largest maker of farm machinery, said on Friday it would lay off 325 people from its construction and forestry divisions due to lagging demand.

These cuts are in addition to prior rounds of layoffs, the Moline, Illinois-based company said.

Source: Reuters

General Dynamics cuts 1,200 jobs

General Dynamics Corp. plans to cut 1,200 jobs and reduce production at its Gulfstream Aerospace unit because of reduced demand for private jets. The Falls Church contractor lowered its earnings forecast for 2009 to reflect the lower output.

General Dynamics (NYSE: GD) announced Thursday that its Gulfstream Aerospace subsidiary has cut large-cabin aircraft production and green-aircraft deliveries from a projected rate of 94 to 73 for 2009 and will reduce production of its mid-size aircraft from a projected rate of 30 to 24 aircraft this year. The reduced production will result in a reduction-in-force of 1,200 workers. General Dynamics said approximately 550 of those positions are held by contractors.

Source: Washington Business Journal

200 laid off at Cinram

Cinram Corporation in Olyphant[,PA] has announced the lay off of approximately 200 employees.The company, which manufactures pre-recorded DVDs, audio CDs, andD-ROMs, said the decision was in response to an anticipated decline in work volumes.

Source: MSNBC

SGI lays off another 120 workers

According to The Register: “Supercomputer maker Silicon Graphics has let go 120 more employees, 9% of its workforce, in an effort to cut costs as its revenues decline.

These cuts come hot on the heels of a 15 per cent layoff announced in mid-December, when SGI slashed 15 per cent of its 1,500-strong workforce, eliminating 225 positions. After the latest rounds of cuts, SGI has approximately 1,155 employees. That latest round cost the company about $3m in severance and related charges, according to the 8K filing, and SGI expects the layoffs to be completed by March 27, 2009.”

Nickel miner Vale Inco to cut 900 jobs globally

Vale Inco Ltd. said Tuesday it will cut more than 400 white-collar jobs in Canada as it continues to restructure its operations amid slumping nickel prices.

The Toronto-based miner said it will cut 900 jobs worldwide, mainly from its corporate, management and business support functions, and the bulk of layoffs in Canada will fall at its major nickel operations in northern Ontario.

Source: The Canadian Press

U.S. Steel to lay off 1,500 in Ontario, Canada

U.S. Steel Corp. announced Tuesday that it would further scale back operations, affecting about 1,500 workers.

In the next month, the Pittsburgh-based company (NYSE: X) will idle its finishing and coking operations at Hamilton Works and the steelmaking and finishing operations at Lake Erie Works, both in Ontario. Coking production, the baking of coal to create the steel ingredient coke, will continue at Lake Erie Works, the company said.

U.S. Steel will continue to concentrate production at its Mon Valley Works outside of Pittsburgh; Gary Works in Gary, Ind.; and Fairfield Works near Birmingham, Ala., the company said.

Source: Dayton Business Journal

Helicopter business to lay off 50

Edwards & Associates – a manufacturer affiliated with Bell Helicopter – has laid off 50 employees — 45 at a Piney Flats[,TN] subsidiary and five at its Bristol[,TN] headquarters — citing a declining demand for its “helicopter completion services.”

Edwards & Associates made the announcement this afternoon, and president Greg Williams said it was the first-ever layoff for the company’s Piney Flats subsidiary Aeronautical Accessories, which marks 30 years in business this year.

Source: Johnson City Press

Smart Papers sells brands to Mohawk; will lay off 200

Mohawk Fine Papers Inc. has acquired Smart Papers LLC’s uncoated paper brands, a move that will cut more than half of Smart Papers’ employees at its Hamilton[,OH] mill.

The Hamilton Journal-News , quoting the president of the United Steelworkers of America Local 1967, said about 200 Smart Papers workers will be laid off as a result of the sale. That’s about 55 percent of the mill’s union members and 60 percent of its salaried employees, according to the story. About 160 employees will remain, the union head said.

Source: Business Courier of Cincinnati

Timken to cut 400 salaried jobs

Steel alloys and bearings maker Timken. Co. says it plans to cut 400 salaried jobs as it reduces costs to match a slowing market for its products. The Canton, Ohio-based company said that the job cuts represent about 2 percent of its work force.

The recession has manufacturers cutting jobs at a rapid pace while new orders are falling.

Source: The Columbus Dispatch