Dozens of jobs will be cut in Louisiana in the following months, due to, in part, low oil prices, Louisiana Workforce Commission has informed.
In a statement this week, the commission said that four Louisiana employers recently issued Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notifications (WARNs).
Companies are required to file WARNs under the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act if there is a full plant closure resulting in 50 or more employees losing their jobs in any 30-day period or if there is a mass layoff during any 30-day period.
The WARNs were issued for the Hexion Inc. facility in Norco, La., two Freeport-McMoRan Oil & Gas divisions in New Orleans, the Offshore Specialty Fabricators facility in Houma, and the Martin Mills distribution center in Vidalia.
Freeport McMoRan Oil & Gas announced layoffs at two of its New Orleans divisions due to declining commodity prices and global economic conditions. A total of 32 employees will be laid off from the two facilities. Rapid Response personnel will provide re-employment information to these workers through the employer.
Offshore Specialty Fabricators issued a WARN on May 2 to announce a mass layoff beginning July 5 which will affect 67 employees who were originally furloughed in March. The company hopes to gain new contracts to avoid this layoff.
Hexion Inc. issued a WARN in late April, announcing the closure of its facility in Norco, resulting in 97 employees losing their jobs. The layoffs will begin this July and will continue for the next few years. LWC’s Rapid Response team will conduct orientation sessions with affected workers next week.
Martin Mills issued a WARN announcing the permanent closure of its Vidalia Distribution Center, resulting in 167 employee layoffs scheduled to begin July 10. LWC’s Rapid Response team will conduct orientation sessions for affected workers in two weeks.