Tyson Foods will be laying off 228 corporate employees in Illinois who declined to relocate to the company’s Arkansas headquarters in its cost-cutting efforts.
Starting from July 31, it will eliminate 177 employees from its downtown Chicago office and 51 employees from its suburban Downers Grove location, as reported by the state.
The offices had approximately 500 employees in October last year when Tyson consolidated corporate offices.
Read More: Tyson Foods to cut 10 percent of corporate jobs
Some employees have already left for positions at other companies.
Tyson faced challenges of high cattle purchase prices and reduced meat demand from financially constrained consumers.
The 228 employees being laid off remain with the company until the Chicago and Downers Grove offices are closed.
It said that the cuts are a result of the consolidation of corporate offices.
In addition to the Illinois layoffs, Tyson will eliminate around 490 corporate positions out of roughly 1,000 workers.
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It includes those at another office in Dakota Dunes, South Dakota, who have chosen not to relocate.
Tyson emphasized that relocating employees to Springdale, Arkansas headquarters will enhance collaboration and decision-making processes.
The company closed two US chicken plants this year, affecting nearly 1,700 workers.
Tyson announced plans to eliminate approximately 10 percent of corporate jobs and 15 percent of senior leadership roles in April.
As of October 1, Tyson had approximately 124,000 employees in the US, with 118,000 working at non-corporate sites such as production plants, according to regulatory filings.
