MCMINNVILLE, Ore. — A British company called Meggitt told employees Thursday that it will lay off 118 at its McMinnville factory, citing fallout from the coronavirus outbreak.
The layoffs begin May 18, according to a filing with state workforce officials, which indicated Meggitt expects the cuts to be permanent. Meggitt makes polymer components for the aerospace, defense and energy sectors.
Meggitt had 391 McMinnville employees in 2017, according to the McMinnville Economic Development Partnership. The company said it is cutting its global workforce by 15% but will continue operating its McMinnville factory.
“The COVID-19 global pandemic has resulted in a significant reduction in demand across our aerospace business in 2020, as our customers adapt and scale back their activities to reflect the reduction in global air traffic," Meggitt said in a written statement to The Oregonian/OregonLive.
The coronavirus epidemic is doing lasting damage to the state’s economy. Oregon shed 360,000 jobs in the first six weeks of the outbreak, more than 1 in 6 jobs statewide.
Early cuts focused on the restaurant and lodging sectors, which began shutting down in March to contain the epidemic. But declining economic activity is now hitting other industries, triggering a growing number of manufacturing layoffs as demand for factory products dries up.
Manufacturers including Precision Castparts, railcar maker Gunderson and Evraz Steel have made significant cuts during over the past several weeks.
-- Mike Rogoway | mrogoway@oregonian.com | twitter: @rogoway | 503-294-7699
This article was originally published by The Oregonian/Oregonlive, one of more than a dozen news organizations throughout the state sharing their coverage of the novel coronavirus outbreak to help inform Oregonians about this evolving health issue.
