Idaho call center lays off more than 600 workers

BOISE – More than 600 workers have lost their jobs at a southwestern Idaho call center.

The Idaho Press-Tribune reported in a story Thursday that Sykes Corporation’s call center in Boise made the layoffs of 640 workers public in a notice filed with the Idaho Department of Labor.

Company spokesman Dana Widerman said the layoffs are due to changes in a client’s business needs but didn’t name the client.

“Those affected were provided 60 days’ pay and benefits to provide them time to adjust and seek other employment,” she told the newspaper in an email. “We are actively looking to bring new business to our center in Boise and continue to provide new career opportunities for residents of the Boise metro area.”

The call center opened in August 2015 and handles customer service contracts. Widerman declined to say how many employees remain. The company said it was working to move employees who lost their jobs to another department.

Idaho Department of Labor spokeswoman Georgia Smith said she expects many of the employees who lost their jobs to find work quickly because of Boise’s strong economy and other local customer service companies that are hiring.

“There are other companies such as Citibank, T-Mobile, HP, and Micron that have been setting up booths at events and aggressively recruiting employees,” she said. “They’re not just waiting for people to file or call online.”

Smith said the state agency can help workers with networking opportunities, resume assistance and career counseling.