New Hampshire Ball Bearings (USA, a division of Minebea, Japan) Astro Division announced another round of layoffs, bringing the total to 27, following a cutback in April.

Located in Laconia, New Hampshire, NHBB Astro division manufactures bearings primarily for the aircraft and aerospace market -- spherical, rod-end and sleeve bearings.

The aircraft market has been notoriously slow during the current recession -- orders for new aircraft have slowed, and in-service aircraft are not being used as often, so they also need fewer replacement parts. Similarly, Astro division's other market customers, such as industrial and high-end automotive, are also slow.

In April, Astro Division laid off 15 hourly and salaried employees.

This latest round cuts 12 more hourly production workers, split between the first and second shift.

But Astro Division has not been hit as hard as some other aerospace manufacturers with less diverse customer bases. NHBB Astro still employs 414 people and runs two shifts. Employment is down from its peak of well over 500 a few years ago.

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