More bad economic news for the county with the state's highest unemployment rate. Hundreds of layoffs are moving from temporary to permanent at Jeld-Wen Windows in Rusk County.
Jeld-Wen has notified the state that 247 people will lose their jobs. The plant, in Hawkins, has been temporarily laying off workers since the start of the year, and the company now says the slumping economy is forcing them to make the layoffs permanent since the workers can't be brought back within six months. The layoffs are effective in July.
The layoffs hit hard in Rusk County, where the unemployment rate of over 16 percent is the highest among Wisconsin's 72 counties.
