Resolute Forest Products Announced Temporary Worker Layoffs

Citing a first quarter 2020 loss of $1 million USD, down from a profit $42 million USD in the first quarter of 2019, Resolute Forest Products Inc. has announced that it is temporarily laying off more than 1,000 workers, mainly in Quebec because of the COVID-19 pandemic. CEO Yves Laflamme says the cuts will mainly affect wood products, newsprint and specialized pulp, along with head office employees in Montreal. Some of the layoffs could be extended if economic turbulence and lower demand persist in some of the company’s divisions. Resolute employs about 7,500 people in Canada and the United States with the vast majority located in Quebec.