Tyson Foods Inc. has announced plans to lay off between 60 to 80 employees at its facility in Emporia, Kan. The plant has nearly 1,000 employees and produces specialty products, reports KTKA News.

Tyson Foods spokesman Gary Mickelson said, "While eliminating jobs is always difficult, in this case we believe it will benefit remaining Emporia team members and hopefully give them more work hours each week."

Emporia City Manager Matt Zimmerman says, "It's a concern to see any kind of layoffs and Emporia certainly has had struggles with the economy the last few years."  He added that he was encouraged to hear of Tyson's commitment to remain in Emporia.

Mickelson said, "We intend to continue to produce specialty products at Emporia and are hopeful these product lines will flourish and enable us to add jobs in the future."

Source: KTKA