US Firms Lay Off Thousands in N. China CityAffected by widespread employment cuts in the United States, some American companies in this north China municipality are beginning to lay off employees, resulting in protests from the laid-off staff.So far, 11 US-funded firms or companies that are heavily influenced by the American economy have laid off 3,500 local workers. Managers of these companies have attributed the layoffs to the large-scale decrease in orders. Three of these firms have halted operation. Motorola, one of the world's electronics giants, has had to cut down its output by three billion yuan this year, which has directly affected the economic growth of the city and drawn the attention of the local government. Pi Qiansheng, a ranking official in charge of the issue, said government departments concerned are working on ways to deal with the situation. |
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