Fairchild Semiconductor to lay off 80 at South Portland, ME, plant

Oct. 3, 2002 – South Portland, ME – Fairchild Semiconductor is laying off 80 workers from its South Portland plant and another 170 worldwide because of slow sales.

Fran Harrison, a company spokesperson, said the layoffs are spread around the company and include engineers, workers in the manufacturing plant, salespeople, and administrators.

Fairchild announced last month that sales would be flat or slightly down for its third quarter. Earlier in the quarter, the company had predicted sales would be flat or slightly up.

The company plans to report its third-quarter results Oct. 17.

“We do believe that the industry is in the recovering mode, but it’s quite slow,” Harrison said.

Recently, sales in Asia — which had been strong — began to slow, reported the Knight Ridder Tribune. Otherwise, sales have been slack across the geographic regions, Harrison said.

Harrison said laid-off workers will get job counseling and help from an outplacement firm. They will also receive between three weeks of pay and a year’s pay, depending on seniority; medical insurance coverage for three months to a year; and eye-care coverage for a month.

The laid-off workers will also have access to an employee support program, offering access to doctors and counselors, generally for about three months, she said.

Employees in good standing are also subject to being called back to work if sales and production pick up, she said.

Fairchild tries to avoid layoffs by cutting other costs first, Harrison said, “but there are sometimes when you have no choice.”

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