After cutting hundreds of jobs over the past two years, IBM is hiring employees at its microelectronics plant in Essex Junction, Vermont, according to the Burlington Free Press. The company has hired 130 people since June and plans to add another 114 before the end of the year. "It is in response to increased client demand that we are seeing since this summer," says Jeff Couture, an IBM spokesperson, quoted in the Free Press. "We don't know whether it's a long-term trend or near-term demand." The new hires will work on the manufacturing line and provide manufacturing maintenance. The plant manufactures chips for a range of consumer electronics products, including cell phones, cameras, and automotive applications. IBM says employment at the plant currently stands at around 5,000, down from 8,500 in 2001.
