Delta Faucet's latest layoff in Greensburg raised to 400 jobs lost since 2007

The lagging economy and thriving recession have brought the local workforce to nearly a trickle as more layoffs hit one of the county's once mightiest manufacturers again.

Friday, Delta Faucet reduced its workforce again for the fifth time in just over a year. According to sources within the plant, 77 full-time employees, many of whom had worked at the local facility from 12 to 17 years, were laid off in response to the continuously struggling economy. An e-mail sent by the Daily News to the corporate office seeking comment on the current layoff went unanswered.

The recent cut makes the fifth since January of 2008 and sixth since 2007. The current trend began with 53 full-time employees and 17 temporary workers being laid off in early 2007. That was followed by a flurry of lay offs in 2008. In early 2008, salary positions were cut locally by 20, which was followed by 95 hourly employees losing their jobs in late March. The trim wasn't enough as the housing market, which Delta relies on for its line of faucets, continued to slump as well as the economy. In May, the third cut of the year came with another 95 workers. As the recession hit full swing late in the year, Delta trimmed an additional 50 just a day after the presidential election in early November.

All told, the county's once largest employer and its first major household manufacturer, has cut more than 400 jobs since 2007. According to the tally given by Delta corporate officials in November, this leaves the local plant with around 480 workers to fill its two shifts after this latest round of layoffs.