Layoffs, Manufacturing, Downturn

ON Semi to Close Oregon Factory

Gregory T. Huang 1/9/09

Phoenix, AZ-based ON Semiconductor, which operates a chip manufacturing plant in Gresham, OR, announced cost-reduction measures for 2009, including chip factory closures and layoffs of 10 percent of its worldwide staff, or about 1,500 jobs. The Portland Business Journal reports the Gresham plant will close for at least four weeks in the first half of this year, and its 500 employees will have to take another two weeks of unpaid time off. ON hasn’t said whether layoffs will affect the Oregon plant.

Gregory T. Huang is the Editor of Xconomy Seattle. You can e-mail him at gthuang@xconomy.com or call 206-624-2249.