Automotive castings company JL French has enacted layoffs at the Glasgow plant.

The employees of JL French help to manufacture oil pans, engine front covers, engine blocks, and transmission cases.

According to a press release from the company, many employees will continue doing just that when work resumes from the holiday break on January 12.

Those laid off say they're just a few of the many hurt by an ailing automotive industry.

"Because of economic conditions, their schedules dropped," says Glasgow Barren County Industrial Authority Interim Director Don Doty. "Chrysler, General Motors, and to a lesser extent, Ford are their customers. They were all being affected by the bailout, and those companies were waiting on money from the government."

A press release from JL French explains; "Whereas JL French had been making moves to deal with a weaker 2009 schedule, the recent rapid schedule reductions were not expected. As orders increase, JL French will bring back employees currently on lay off status as required."

How much will layoffs at JL French impact the city of Glasgow?

"It affects this town when you have people on the street with no income coming in," Doty says. "It definitely does."

Doty explains that JL French is the third largest employer in Glasgow, employing between 400 and 500 people.

"We're hoping that everything gets better with the economy cause it has a ripple effect," he concludes. "It's not just the automotive companies. The general economy needs to get better, and we're hoping it does. We're hoping it turns around."

Calls to the Glasgow plant were not immediately returned.

JL French also has facilities in Sheboygan, Wisconsin and Ansola, Spain.