Allegheny Technologies Inc.

Allegheny Technologies Inc. has laid off 209 hourly workers and supervisors at its Allegheny Ludlum stainless steel plant in Midland, Beaver County, and says the layoffs could last six months or longer. The layoffs at Midland are in addition to several hundred announced in late October that affect employees at plants in Brackenridge, Harrison and Vandergrift and at the research and development facility in Harrison, though the workforce at those locations fluctuates. The steel company blamed all the furloughs on a downturn in customer orders, due to the nation's slumping economy.