Posted on Thursday, May 03 2007 @ 20:37 CEST by Thomas De Maesschalck
Intel announced this week that more than 1,000 jobs will be cut at its Rio Rancho fab in Mexico. The reason for the layoffs is that Intel is that Intel is quitting the production of 200mm wafers:
Intel will stop making the 200-millimeter wafers at the plant by the end of August, and affected employees will be offered severance packages or can apply for other jobs within the company, spokesman Jami Grindatto said.
"Both options give you a great package, a competitive package," he said. "It's based on years of service."
Some of the employees whose jobs are being cut have worked for the company for as many as 25 years, Grindatto said.
The Rio Rancho plant employs about 5,000 people among Intel's worldwide work force of 92,000. The exact number of job cuts that will result from the end of production at the plant's Fab 11 unit is unknown, Grindatto said.
He said the 200-millimeter technology has become obsolete, and the Rio Rancho plant's Fab 11X unit will focus on manufacturing the 300-millimeter wafers that are in higher demand.
Fab 11X began production in October 2002 and was Intel's first 300-millimeter high-volume, fully automated manufacturing facility.
Source:
Chron.
