WorkSource Central Basin holding job fair on Friday
REC Silcon/courtesy photo A nightime view of REC Silcon in Moses Lake, where about 100 workers were laid off recently.
MOSES LAKE — WorkSource Central Basin is hosting a job fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday to help accommodate REC Silicon employees affected in the recent round of layoffs. But WorkSource administrator Todd Wurl said the event is open to anybody looking for a job or a change in careers. “We currently have 12 employers that have committed to a table at the event,” he said. The Center at 309 E. 5th Ave is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and we provide a full range of assistance to job seekers, including reemployment assistance, retraining and educational opportunities. One hundred employees were laid off at the REC Silicon Moses Lake production facility on July 2 as a result of the current dispute with China over access to the country’s market for polysilicon. REC Silicon could close its production facility in Moses Lake, according to President and CEO Tore Torvund. “I will not be firm on either closing or operating the plant, it depends on what will be the market,” Torvund said during a recent conference call. “It might be an option if nothing is happening between the U.S. and China.” During the conference call, Torvund said the round of 100 layoffs at its Moses Lake production facility was a way of adjusting the workforce and spending so REC could keep the plant operating “in the short term.” “It’s a regrettable situation for employees,” Torvund said. “It is a necessary adjustment so we can continue to operate.”
— Staff report