Aug. 2 (UPI) — Lowe’s announced Thursday it is laying off thousands of employees, mostly those who work as assemblers or maintenance workers.
The hardware chain didn’t specify how many employees lost their jobs.
“We are moving to third-party assemblers and facility services to allow Lowe’s store associates to spend more time on the sales floor serving customers,” Lowe’s said in a statement to CNBC and CNN. “Associates who were in these positions will be given transition pay and have the opportunity to apply for open roles at Lowe’s.”
The company employed 190,000 full-time and 110,000 part-time employees in North America as of Feb. 1.
Lowe’s stock closed down 1.89 percent after news of the layoffs.
In November, the company announced plans to close 51 underperforming stores in the United States and Canada.
