Deere to lay off more than 600 at four U.S. plants

Aug 15 (Reuters) - Deere & Co, the world's largest maker of farm equipment, said it would indefinitely lay off more than 600 employees at plants in Illinois, Iowa and Kansas as falling grain prices hurt demand for tractors, harvesters and other agricultural machinery.

The company reported a 5 percent drop in third-quarter sales on Wednesday and cut its full-year profit forecast.

Deere had about 67,000 full-time employees as of Oct. 31, 2013, of which about 33,900 were in the United States and Canada.

The layoffs are at plants in Moline and East Moline, Illinois; Ankeny, Iowa; and Coffeyville, Kansas.

Deere, whose shares were little changed at $84.90 in early trading on Friday, said it would also implement seasonal and inventory-adjustment shutdowns at the affected plants that would result in temporary layoffs.

The company operated 26 plants in the United States and Canada as of Oct. 31, of which 17 primarily make agriculture and turf equipment. Deere also makes construction and forestry equipment.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has forecast record U.S. corn and soybean crops this year - a prospect that has sent prices plummeting and discouraged farmers from buying equipment.

Up to Thursday's close, Deere's stock had fallen 6 percent this year. It fell about 2 percent on Wednesday.

Illinois : Companies announce over 700 job cuts

Nine companies, including Comcast Corp. and software firm Intuit Inc., warn of 738 Illinois job cuts in a new state report.

More than 500 of the cuts are in the Chicago area, according to the July WARN report from the state's Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

• Philadelphia-based Comcast plans to lay off 112 workers in southwest suburban Romeoville starting Sept. 14.

• Mountain View, California-based Intuit will lay off 104 workers in Arlington Heights starting Sept. 15.

• Commercial real estate company Equity Office Management LLC will cut 48 workers in Chicago starting at the end of September.

• Fairfield, California-based confectionery maker Jelly Belly Candy Co. is cutting 66 workers in North Chicago. The company said laid-off workers will receive outplacement services and also will be able to explore job transfers to other company locations.

• We Clean Maintenance & Supplies Inc. in Bedford Park will lay off 107 workers in Chicago. The layoffs come at the request of a client, a spokeswoman said.

• Chicago-based Geralex Janitorial Services Inc., which provides janitorial services at airports and schools, is cutting 67 jobs in the city.

• Janitorial and property services firm RJB Properties Inc. in Orland Park is laying off 41 workers in its Chicago office.

• Kraft Foods Group Inc. warned of 56 layoffs in Champaign. The Northfield-based company previously announced in April that 60 drivers and fleet support staff in Champaign were going to be laid off as part of a national plan to cut 285 jobs.

• The highest number of layoffs in the report come from Clive, Iowa-based Jacobson Warehouse Co. The company will lay off 137 workers in East Moline starting at the end of September.