Oregon Public Broadcasting

Les Schwab Tires confirmed Tuesday that it has cut the jobs of 27 employees – and temporarily laid off 38 seasonal workers.

It’s another blow to Prineville’s struggling economy, as central Oregon correspondent Ethan Lindsey reports.

The company employs 7000 workers in 8 western states.

And the famously private firm has announced very few layoffs in the past few years.

Les Schwab is known for the way it shares profits with employees and for its customer service.

And the company is famous for giving away beef with its tires.

But in this recession, sales are slowing in beef, tires, and almost everything.

Les Schwab’s spokeswoman confirmed that the company isn't selling as many tires – and the layoffs are a result of that.

The 65 job cuts came from the company’s operations center in Prineville. That's another hit to Crook County, which already has the state’s highest unemployment rate – above 12 percent.

Plus, the tire company just moved its white-collar jobs from Prineville to a brand new executive headquarters 33 miles away, in Bend.