Air Products & Chemicals, as part of a global restructuring that began in September, cut 500 jobs, according to a first-quarter earnings report released Thursday.
The Upper Macungie Township-based company eliminated 50 positions through Sept. 30 and then another 450 through Dec. 31.
Air Products announced plans to reorganize Sept. 18, but had not previously disclosed the number of jobs being cut. The news was buried in the final page of the 11-page report.
Air Products, which sells gases and chemicals for industrial purposes, is the Lehigh Valley's third-largest employer with more than 3,500 workers in the region. Worldwide, the company has 20,000-plus employees in 50 countries.
Company spokesman Art George declined to say how many local Air Products workers were affected by the cuts, emphasizing that the restructuring is "global" and still underway. The layoffs represent an estimated 2.5 percent of the company's global workforce.
The reorganization followed pressure from activist investor William Ackman and came months after Air Products named Seifi Ghasemi its new chief executive officer, according to a Dow Jones Business News report.
Precious Petty may be reached at ppetty@express-times.com. Follow her on Twitter @precpetty. Find Lehigh County news on Facebook.