Travelocity to move 250 Virginia jobs overseas (county UC rate 11%)

[Karmadillo]

http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD%2FMGArticle%2FRTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031773659418

Roughly 250 employees in Dickenson County will lose their jobs - primarily to India - by the end of the year when Travelocity.com closes its customer-service center in Clintwood, a company spokesman said yesterday.

The closing of the center, which opened in June 2001, comes as a major setback to rural Dickenson, which lost many of its textile and apparel jobs three years ago. The unemployment rate already stands at 11 percent.

"It'll certainly be a tremendous blow to the county," said Donald Baker, mayor of the small town of Clintwood and chairman of the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority. "We'd like to discuss it further with the company and maybe change their mind. But I don't think we'll have any success."

Travelocity, meanwhile, said the move is necessary to help meet its goal of becoming profitable in 2004. Spokesman Joel Frey said the company, which provides airfares and travel services over the Internet, hopes to save $10 million in the first year after the closing.

more...

[malachi]

1. Outsourcing is only going to intensify

between now and Nov '04. Companies that want to outsource are fearful that when a Democrat wins the presidentila election this wonderful practice will be severely curtailed. Everyday we read about some fine "American" company sending jobs overseas.

[Zero Gravitas]

2. That's one more

company I won't be doing business with...

[KamaAina]

3. Look at that Bush* job machine go!

Go, jobs, go! Go as far as you can from a place that really needs you badly!

On the bright side, Va., with a big chunk of votes inside (or just outside) the Beltway, plus a Dem governor, is looking more and more like a Southern state that we just might maybe be able to pick off in November.