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Caterpillar Starts Illinois Layoffs Early

Heavy equipment manufacturer is speeding up layoff plans at a central Illinois plant, cutting more than 1,000 jobs two weeks early.

DECATUR, Ill. (AP) -- Caterpillar is speeding up layoff plans at a central Illinois plant, cutting more than 1,000 jobs two weeks early.

The Peoria. Ill.-based heavy equipment manufacturer started sending the workers from its Decatur plant home on Thursday. The company had planned to keep them on through April 13.

Caterpillar said it decided to speed up its layoffs at the plant because of slowing demand for its mining trucks and earth moving equipment.

Caterpillar spokesman Jim Dugan says the workers will be paid through April 13.

Layoffs in Decatur are part of more than 24,000 job cuts the company is making worldwide.

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