Jan. 10, 2002 – Seoul, Korea – Employees who were laid off from Hynix Semiconductor Inc.’s Eugene, OR, plant last summer could be back at work next week.

Current and former Hynix employees said a major rehiring appears to be under way, with workers signing agreements to return to the plant, and taking company-required physical exams and drug tests, reported Knight Ridder Business News.

In July, Hynix cut 600 jobs at the Eugene plant, retaining only 200 workers.

During the past few months, Hynix has rehired some workers as it has retooled the factory and begun producing 256-megabit DRAM chips instead of the 64-megabit DRAM it had made since the plant began trial production in late 1997.

As of mid-December, Hynix said it had rehired about 150 workers, for a total of about 350.

It’s unclear exactly how many of the remaining 450 jobs are being filled in the latest rehiring wave.

Hynix wouldn’t confirm the reports.

Some laid off workers said they received registered letters from the company in late December offering them jobs — some at their previous pay rate — as long as they passed a drug test and physical exam.

Many have taken the tests and signed letters pledging to return to work. Now, they’re waiting for the company to tell them when to show up at the plant.