Marion Whirlpool announces layoffs of 120 employees

MARION - Whirlpool Corp. recently laid off 120 employees, a corporate spokeswoman said, on Friday.

"Those are layoffs that have to do with fluctuations in consumer demand," said Jill Saletta, Whirlpool director of external communications. "It's a part of normal responding to changes in demand."

Saletta said the layoff, which is intended to be temporary, is not related to a Tuesday earnings announcement in which the company said it would eliminate 5,000 jobs at its facilities worldwide this year and next due to a downturn in the U.S. housing market. The nation's largest home appliance manufacturer also reported its earnings dropped 7 percent during the third quarter, and announced price increases.

In addition to the four facility closures Whirlpool announced earlier this year, it also is closing its Jackson, Tenn., facility and transferring production and 350 jobs to its Findlay site.

Of the 5,000 job eliminations announced worldwide, the job losses at the Marion plant "would be very slim numbers," Saletta said, declining to disclose a specific figure. "We're not providing that detail location by location because it's not complete yet."

John Jarvis: 740-375-5154 or jjarvis@marionstar.com