Laid-off FNB workers have shot at new jobs

HERMITAGE, Pa. -- There may be a silver lining for a few of the 160 people being laid off by FNB Corp. as part of the restructuring of its operations.
They may be able to apply for some of the 15 new jobs being created when FNB moves its headquarters back to Hermitage from Florida late this year or in early 2004.
Gary Roberts, senior executive vice president, said 160 FNB employees in the Pennsylvania and Ohio markets were notified this week that they will be furloughed, some as early as Friday.
Others may still be on the job until the end of the year, depending on what particular functions they perform, Roberts said.
FNB employs about 1,800 people in 128 branches in Pennsylvania and Ohio, so the job loss won't have a significant effect on any particular market, he said.
FNB employs about 1,300 in Florida and will be furloughing about 130 people there.
Roberts said those furloughed in Pennsylvania and Ohio could apply for some of the new jobs being created as a result of the restructuring.
Those jobs will primarily be in FNB's data processing center here, FNB officials have said.
FNB, which moved its corporate headquarters to Florida two years ago, announced in July that it was splitting itself into two companies, one to run its Pennsylvania operations and the other to run its Florida operations.