November 12, 2006

"Industrial parts manufacturer Eaton Corp. has announced tentative plans to consolidate operations at two Michigan plants, closing one of them and moving up to 190 jobs to Mexico.

KENDALLVILLE, Ind. - Tower Automotive Inc. will close its northeastern Indiana auto parts plant next year, costing more than 100 workers their jobs.

Dana Corp. in the coming weeks will announce the locations of eight plants that will be closed as part of the company's efforts to improve its operations and finances. "We expect to continue to move manufacturing capacity from the U.S. to lower cost countries, such as Mexico," the company's filing said.

Timken to build plant in China. Timken's previously announced restructuring includes slashing 700 jobs, the closing of a plant in Georgia and one in Connecticut.


USA. Brunswick announces 645 job losses in phased shutdown of Steinbach & Cumberland facilities


HARTFORD, Conn., Nov. 9 (UPI) -- Bayer HealthCare will close its research facility in West Haven, Conn., where about 1,000 people work.

WAGRAM, N.C. The Laurinberg and Scotland County Chamber of Commerce has announced that a textile plant in Wagram will close.

Chamber president Jim Frank Henderson says WestPoint Stevens will close the plant by April 2007, laying off more than 800 workers.

Study sees increase in U.S. outsourcing
Houston Chronicle
• Comment: "Fortune 500 companies could potentially save $58 billion annually, or some $116 million per company, by offshoring general and administrative jobs, according to the Hackett Group, a strategic advisory firm. The study estimates that increased use of cheaper overseas labor could affect nearly 1.5 million back-office jobs over the next decade, or nearly 3,000 at a typical Fortune 500 company. And the jobs under review will go far beyond call centers."

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