Lincoln Financial Group eliminates 37 jobs in Fort Wayne

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Lincoln Financial Group has eliminated 37 positions in its Fort Wayne operations, a company spokesman said Thursday.

The layoffs came as part of a 1.5 percent reduction in the company’s entire workforce, amounting to about 130 jobs cut companywide. The Fort Wayne cuts – less than 2 percent of Lincoln’s workforce here – are roughly in line with the proportion of jobs eliminated throughout the company.

Lincoln released this statement Thursday regarding the layoffs: “Recent efforts to enhance the strategic design of our organization resulted in the elimination of about 130 jobs spread across our different office locations. The number of employees impacted represented approximately 1.5 percent of our entire workforce, and we are providing severance packages and outplacement services to the staff that were affected by these changes. We remain committed to having a presence in and supporting the communities in which we operate, and implementing these changes instead reflects a constant focus on refining the way we do business.”

The Community Research Institute at IPFW listed Lincoln’s employment this year as 2,007, which makes it the county’s fifth-largest employer. Only Parkview Health System, Lutheran Health Network, Fort Wayne Community Schools and General Motors employ more people in Allen County than Lincoln.

In addition to severance benefits and placement assistance Lincoln provides, the affected employees also may be able to receive help from WorkOne Northeast.

“We are planning to reach out to the affected individuals right away,” said Kathleen Randolph, president and CEO of WorkOne Northeast. “We want to make sure they are aware of the services available to them.”

bcaylor@news-sentinel.com