Panasonic set to close TV factory in Pilsen, up to 1000 will lose their jobs

The Japanese company Panasonic plans to close its television factory in the western Bohemian city of Pilsen, KOVO union sources said. Production is likely to end on March 31, 2022.

KOVO union chairman Jaroslav Souček told ČTK that the closure stems in part from a shortage of computer chips worldwide, which has affected the company strategy.

Panasonic has been making televisions at the Pilsen site since 1997. Company management has yet to comment on the purported closure, which would leave some 900 to 1000 people without work.