Nov. 7, 2002 – Dallas, TX – Texas Instruments is laying off 180 workers at its manufacturing plant in Tucson, AZ, cutting about 15% of the work force at the facility, due to the extended semiconductor industry slump.

Approximately 1,020 employees will still work at the facility after the cuts, reported the Associated Press.

“This is not a reflection at all on individuals or the plant as far as output and quality,” said TI spokeswoman Gail Chandler. “It’s just aligning our resources with what we’re seeing in the market.”

The jobs lost were mostly manufacturing workers, who were paid an average of $12 to $15/hour.

The Tucson facility specializes in designing and making high-performance analog semiconductor chips.

In April of last year, Texas Instruments announced 2,500 job cuts worldwide, but the Tucson work force was virtually untouched.