Honeywell International In Smithfield Laying Off 470 Employees

SMITHFIELD, RI — Honeywell International's facility in Smithfield is laying off hundreds of employees who have been involved in the production of N95 face masks, reported WPRI.

According to Honeywell spokesperson Eric Krantz, approximately 470 jobs are being cut and those being laid off are urged to apply for other jobs at the company.

The job cuts come at a time when the demand for N95 masks is drastically reducing as the country opens up and vaccinations are distributed, said Krantz. For that reason, Honeywell is ceasing manual production of N95 masks.

“We appreciate the hard work and dedication these employees displayed in helping to protect American frontline workers battling the pandemic,” said Krantz in a statement. “The U.S. remains Honeywell’s largest N95 manufacturing operation, and we will continue to deliver PPE to help protect workers on the job.”

Gov. Dan McKee said state officials are organizing a job fair to help support employees who have lost their job at Honeywell.