Sensata Technologies to cut 160 jobs at its facility in Antrim town

US electronics company Sensata Technologies is to cut 160 jobs across production, engineering and support at its facility in Antrim town.

The move comes just months after it announced the phased closure of its Carrickfergus site with the loss of 270 jobs.

In a statement, Sensata attributed the Antrim job losses to a “significant drop” in market demand due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Sensata, which makes sensors, switches and controls, has a significant manufacturing and R&D presence in Northern Ireland, employing 1,058 employees in total.

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The company came to the North in 1988 via the acquisition of Schrader Electronics. Its two sites manufacture a range of tyre pressure monitoring systems (TPMS).

In January, the company announced the phased closure of the Carrickfergus plant by early next year.

Vice president Eric Sorret said the effects of the pandemic would have a "profound and lasting" impact on demand for its products with car manufacturers cutting forecasts by up to 30 per cent.

“This long-term reduction in market demand has already directly affected our Northern Ireland manufactured product lines and we regret to announce that we will be making a series of reductions to the workforce at our Antrim site during 2020 and early 2021,” he said.

The company is to begin a 90-day collective consultation period with unions at which it said it will consider alternatives to compulsory redundancies.

“Despite these difficult operational decisions Sensata remains committed to Northern Ireland and will continue to invest in the development of smart and connected products to support future growth,” Mr Sorret added.