Cat Announces Additional 2,000-Plus Layoffs

After announcing firings that will total more than 20,000 jobs, Caterpillar Inc. on Jan. 30 announced that it has added another 2,000-plus to the list.

Cat said it has notified full-time production employees at its Aurora, Decatur and East Peoria, IL manufacturing facilities of the permanent layoffs. A total of 2,110 production employees will be laid off at the three facilities as a result of this decision.

Caterpillar manufactures wheel loaders and hydraulic excavators in Aurora, where 500 production employees will be laid off.

In Decatur, where the company manufactures off-highway trucks, motor graders and wheel tractor scrapers, 1,026 production employees will be laid off. In East Peoria, where Caterpillar manufactures track-type tractors and pipelayers, 584 production employees will be laid off.

In addition to the production employees, a total of 416 support and management employees in Aurora, Decatur and East Peoria have also been notified of layoffs today. This includes 96 support and management staff in Aurora, 146 in Decatur and 174 in East Peoria. These 416 support and management staff make up a portion of the as many as 5,000 layoffs and separations announced by Caterpillar on Jan. 26.

Other Caterpillar business units are currently determining the level of layoffs and separations needed to reach the previously announced plan to reduce the company's support and management workforce.