US-based PV module manufacturer Mission Solar is to cut its existing workforce by a further 58% after closing its solar cell production lines at its facilities in San Antonio, Texas in October 2016.
According to local news reports and a Workforce Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) in the state of Texas, Mission Solar’s second round of job cuts would result in the loss of 170 jobs, adding to the 87 jobs lost in October.
Mission Solar is expected to complete the workforce reduction at the end of March 2017.
The company had switched from being an integrated solar cell and module manufacturer using high-efficiency N-type monocrystalline technology to module assembly only, purchasing solar cells from Korea to avoid US anti-dumping duties in an effort to regain cost competitiveness with Asia-based PV manufacturers.
PV Tech's analysis of Mission Solar's first job cuts and cell line closure can be viewed here.