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Job outlook for laid-off Harley-Davidson employees

SPRINGETTSBURY TOWNSHIP, YORK COUNTY, Pa. — A major York County employer announces layoffs of more than 100 workers. Harley-Davidson is moving production ...

SPRINGETTSBURY TOWNSHIP, YORK COUNTY, Pa. -- A major York County employer announces layoffs of more than 100 workers.

Harley-Davidson is moving production of its Softail motorcycle from its Springettsbury Township facility to Kansas City.

The plant here will continue to produce Touring bikes and Trikes, but for the 118 people losing their jobs, some believe the prospects for finding another one are good.

Harley-Davidson's vehicle operations facility has been a fixture in York County, assembling its bikes since 1973.

York County Economic Alliance President & CEO Kevin Schreiber said "we obviously are incredibly proud of the heritage that Harley Davidson has here in York, Pennsylvania, in the world of Harley Davidson its York and Milwaukee, and we certainly stand far above the rest."

Since the company announced its latest round of layoffs, the number of York County Harley-Davidson employees in the last ten years will have dropped from about 2,000 to 800.

It may leave some workers uncertain about their future.

"York County, we sit at about 4.2 percent unemployment, that's about 11,000 individuals that are unemployed in the county, out of 239,000 eligible for the workforce. So, we are below the state average for unemployment but no one wants to hear of any one individual losing their job, and being displaced," Schrieber said.

York County CareerLink coordinator Vincent Jones, Jr. said "there's a ton of jobs. Just this week, we were ranked I think number six in the county, we have over 3,000 job orders."

The York County plant which produces Touring, Trike, and custom models, also manufactures frames and fenders.

"Obviously, we hope that Harley, that this is an economically smart decision, and that it only leads to their further resurgence, and that they are stable and that these jobs will eventually come back, and that we can remain competitive here in york making Harleys, cranking them off the line, and shipping them all over the world, stamped made in the USA," Schreiber said.

The layoffs are scheduled to begin June 23rd.

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