[July 28, 2007] Amkor semiconductor laying off 150: Jobs being sent to Taiwan as it attempts to cut costs Tweet (News & Observer, The (Raleigh, NC) (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Jul. 28--Amkor Technology, a semiconductor manufacturer with facilities worldwide, will lay off about 150 Triangle workers and send the jobs to Taiwan. Dave Lawton, head of human resources at Amkor's headquarters in Chandler, Ariz., said the layoffs will be spread out in the coming months. "We haven't had the first official round of layoffs yet," Lawton said. "The timing is in flux right now based on customer demands." A notice filed with N.C. Department of Commerce said the jobs will be phased out between this month and April 2008. The company anticipates spending about $800,000 on termination benefits, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. As with other manufacturers and technology companies, Amkor is trying to reduce costs to compete with global rivals. Labor costs, in particular, are cheaper in foreign countries. "The decision to make these reductions is due to Amkor's inability to maintain any competitive advantage with our foreign competition," the notice said. The company, which has facilities in Research Triangle Park and Morrisville, will keep both locations operating, Lawton said. Amkor will continue to employ about 120 people, mostly engineers involved in research and development. Amkor is one of the largest semiconductor operations in the world, with a focus on design, assembly and testing. Its products are used in electronics gear such as cell phones, computers, digital cameras and MP3 players. The company employs 22,000 people in 15 factories spread throughout Asia. Amkor reported $2.7 billion in revenue in 2006. The majority of jobs lost in the layoffs -- about 85 -- will be technicians. The remaining losses will be spread among the operations, including jobs in shipping and receiving and for receptionists, human resources staff and supervisors. Amkor acquired its Morrisville location as part of the 2004 purchase of Unitive. That deal, valued at $103 million at the time, included facilities in Taiwan. Unitive was founded in 1998 as a spinoff of MCNC, a nonprofit computing center and business incubator based in Research Triangle Park that was initially funded by the state. Staff writer Tim Simmons can be reached at 829-4535 or [email protected]. To see more of The News & Observer, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.newsobserver.com. Copyright (c) 2007, The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]