Northrop Grumman cuts 142 jobs

On June 16, the defense contractor told employees of the plan to eliminate the jobs at the Electronics Systems sector facilities, said Bonnie Blueford, a company spokeswoman.

The layoffs were caused mainly by a lack of new product design and development work in the engineering sector, as well as delays in current and anticipated programs, she said.

Laid-off employees were given a separation package, and the company is providing assistance to help those who are looking for other work, she added.

The company offers outplacement help, such as resume preparation, interviewing techniques and applying for specific job opportunities.

"This work force reduction action is regrettable but unavoidable. It is imperative that the company properly adjusts the staffing levels to accommodate anticipated business needs going forward," Blueford said.

Northrop Grumman laid off 95 workers in Hagerstown in May and has warned that the Western Maryland site's 58 workers could be laid off within 60 days, according to the Associated Press.

Blueford said those layoffs were from another sector of the company and were unrelated to the ones in this county.

She said that assuming the project workload for the Broadneck Peninsula and Linthicum facilities stays the same, they don't foresee any more layoffs there.

The long-term outlook for the Electronic Systems sector is still promising, she said. The company has more than 7,000 employees in Anne Arundel and another 5,000 around the state.

Overall in the county, the jobless rate was 6.5 percent for May, the eighth-best in the state, according to data released last month by the state Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation.

In May, Office Depot announced it would be cutting 132 jobs by closing a distribution center in Odenton.

Kirkland Murray, president and CEO of Anne Arundel County Workforce Development Corp., a nonprofit organization that provides work force training and job placement services, said this recent layoff isn't a sign of a bad economy.

Some companies are still doing layoffs, but others are hiring, he said.

"It's a mixed bag out there," he said.

Murray's group will help those who have been laid off or those who have retired find new jobs if they want them.

"Most of these people have high skills and are going to be in high demand," he said. "We're going to work closely with people and get them back into the work force."