(Columbia) Feb. 19, 2004 - Fourteen companies around South Carolina have announced layoffs so far this year.

Debbie Ayers is one of them. She was laid off from her job at a Columbia sign company, "This is the first time I've ever been laid off, and I thought it was a pretty good job, good company, it did a lot to my self esteem, and it's taken me awhile to get over that."
    
She was at the One Stop Job Center in Columbia to look for a new position, "The job search is slow. Not a lot of them are in manufacturing right now."

According to the Employment Security Commission , or ESC, layoffs have affected just over 1800 workers in South Carolina since the beginning of this year alone. Layoffs affected 11,000 workers in the Palmetto State in 2003.

Bose announced this week its moving part of its production operation from the Richland County plant to Mexico. Employees at Bose told WIS News 10 that 160 people will be laid off.
    
Bose says it will also move an operation from Michigan to the Blythewood plant. The operation employs 70 people who recondition radios.    
   
Bosch in Sumter announced in January it will phase out 400 jobs from the drum brake plant in the next year. Those jobs are going to Mexico as well.

Pat Sherlock says the ESC helps several people a day who've been laid off, "We help them filling out claims, unemployment insurance, we give them information, access services to get back to work."
    
Ayers had an interview on Thursday. She's optimistic, despite the reality, "The job market right now is in really bad shape. Anything that could be done would be great."

In addition to companies laying off some of their workers, some other companies are shutting down altogether. So far this year, ten companies have announced they're doing that.

By Jennifer Miskewicz
Posted 5:44pm by BrettWitt