Caterpillar Laying Off More than 400 at Illinois Plant

Caterpillar Inc. says it plans to lay off more than 460 employees this June at its plant in Decatur.

Rachel Potts is a spokeswoman for the Peoria-based company. She said Friday that Caterpillar is laying off the employees as part of an ongoing series of production cuts.

Caterpillar has said those cuts are in response to reduced global demand for mining equipment. The plant in Decatur builds products used in mining.

Cuts in some other locations have been temporary. Potts said the Decatur cuts are permanent.

Potts would not say whether more job cuts are planned in the near future.

The cuts come at a tough time for Decatur. The state Department of Employment Security says the town has the highest unemployment rate among Illinois' metro areas at 13.7 percent.