Šilutės baldai, a long-standing furniture manufacturer in Lithuania, has announced it will lay off 45 workers from its total workforce of 388. The layoffs involve various roles including operators, metalworkers, and senior operators, slated to occur between last Thursday and May 14. The employment service representative, Milda Jankauskienė, stated that the company is taking these steps to optimize resources in light of reduced sales and production demands.

The company's history dates back to the late 19th century, and it has been operating as a registered joint-stock company since 1992. Recent financial data shows that during the fiscal year of 2024, Šilutės baldai reported revenues of 34.9 million euros and a net profit of 715,000 euros. Despite this profit, the company is facing challenges in the current market that are forcing them to reduce their workforce in order to maintain operational efficiency and respond to declining orders.

This decision follows a similar announcement from another company in the SBA group, Visagino linija, which recently laid off 99 employees as part of its operational optimization efforts. These employment changes reflect broader challenges within Lithuania's manufacturing sector, particularly in the furniture industry, highlighting the impacts of fluctuating market demands on local employment levels.