SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. (AP) — A chicken processor said it will lay off 180 hourly workers as it slows chicken production to offset rising grain prices.
In a statement released Tuesday, Simmons Foods officials said with high grain prices caused by corn being used to make ethanol, the company has decided to realign its production and eliminate the jobs as of April 15. Officials said they would like to restore the positions as the market improves.
Officials aren't saying what types of jobs are being cut or whether all the layoffs will come from the plant in Siloam Springs, where the company is based.
Simmons Foods employed about 3,900 at its 15 Northwest Arkansas locations as of August, compared with 3,600 workers the previous year.
It also has operations in Missouri and Oklahoma.