REGION

REGION

GE to cut jobs in Warren, shut down plant in Niles

WARREN — General Electric said Tuesday that it is eliminating 82 jobs at its Ohio Lamp Plant in Warren and shutting down its Mahoning Glass Plant in Niles for half a year.

The company said it needs fewer workers in Warren because of the decreasing demand for incandescent light bulbs. GE said about 40 percent of those losing their jobs are eligible for retirement. The plant has 345 workers.

In Niles, GE intends to move production of glass for spotlights and floodlights to suppliers and a plant in Kentucky for half of the year in 2009 and 2010 and then restart local production the remaining parts of both years. The plan needs union approval.

The company said there is not enough demand to keep the plant running at full capacity all year. The plant’s 100 workers would receive layoff benefits for the time they aren’t working.

FirstEnergy Corp. will cut hundreds of jobs in Ohio

AKRON — Electric power company FirstEnergy Corp. plans to cut 335 managers and support staff, including 216 in Ohio.

The Akron, Ohio-based company said Tuesday that the reduction is part of a larger effort to improve efficiencies and respond to the global economic downturn. Sixteen job cuts will take place in New Jersey, and the remaining 103 in Pennsylvania.

The reduction represents about 4 percent of the company’s nonunion work force.

Vindicator staff/wire reports