Appliance maker Whirlpool announced Monday it plans to lay off 730 workers at its refrigerator plant in Fort Smith, Ark.
Whirlpool said the workers would lose their jobs next October as the company opens a new plant in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico. Many of the layoffs would be voluntary and many workers are expected to be recalled within 18 months to fill openings that come about through attrition, the company said.
The Fort Smith Whirlpool plant has 4,600 workers, and the company says it has hired nearly 800 new workers since 2003. The company says the rate at which new workers have been needed illustrates its anticipated time frame for hiring back laid-off workers.
The plant makes side-by-side refrigerator-freezers, counter-depth refrigerators, trash compactors and ice makers.
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