A total of 300 support and management employees at Caterpillar facilities in Mossville, Ill., received job-loss notifications last week. The company did not disclose the number of layoffs this week at other locations in the region.
The layoffs initiated in Mossville and other Peoria-area facilities largely consisted of engineers working in divisions that Caterpillar announced last month would be consolidated, resulting in significant work force reductions beyond the 10,000 job cuts announced last fall as part of a company-wide restructuring.
The restructuring also resulted in announcement of thousands of intended job cuts overseas by the end of the week — in Northern Ireland and Belgium.
The company intends to restructure operations in Northern Ireland, possibly reducing 200 to 250 production, support and management positions over one to two years.
Caterpillar also said it is considering discontinuing production of 25-ton and larger material handlers in Northern Ireland.
