Watlow Electric announced the layoff of 60 of its Columbia plant workers Monday, bringing to a close the company’s plan to retire 30 percent of its local workforce this summer.

Lisa Ptasienski, Watlow’s manager of marketing communications, said the layoffs were made necessary by three factors: a downturn in the semiconductor market, a recession in the memory storage market and the effects of tariffs recently levied by the federal government.

  • Quinn is a sports and news reporter for the Missourian.