Caterpillar announces additional Decatur layoffs

     DECATUR, Ill. (AP) – Caterpillar Inc. has announced plans to lay off an additional 300 employees at its Decatur plant within the next 60 days.

     The Decatur Herald & Review reports the layoffs announced Friday come in the wake of plans announced last month to permanently lay off 460 employees at the plant. The company announced the layoffs were part of an effort to deal with a slump in the mining business.

     A Caterpillar statement said workers affected by Friday’s announcement work in production and support/management roles, with the majority in the production workforce.

     The facility makes engine liners and engine blocks that wind up, among other things, in Caterpillar mining equipment.

     Caterpillar last month reported its first-quarter profit shrank 45 percent. Peoria-based Caterpillar’s Decatur plant is one of the town’s largest employers.