ALPENA (AP) -- Lafarge SA is laying off about 130 workers at its Alpena plant, but the world's leading cement-maker says it expects to recall them in about 45 days.
The French company blames the layoffs on market conditions and efforts to improve efficiency.
It issued a statement Wednesday saying it's "exploring means by which the company may provide additional assistance to help affected employees." The statement didn't give a layoff total, but The Alpena News puts the number at about 130.
Lafarge said last month it was selling billions of dollars in new shares and assets and cutting its dividend in half to manage debt it took on to expand.
The Paris-based company predicts the volume of its cement sales will fall up to 3 percent in 2009.
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