<http://schema.org/description>
"LL Bean Inc yesterday said it is to cut around 300 jobs from its regular workforce of 4,300. Most of the job losses will take place over the next two months in Maine.   President/CEO Chris McCormick said that despite 2002 as being &amp;quot;a solid year financially,&amp;quot; cuts were needed to remain competitive. He said declining prices, &amp;quot;especially in the retail apparel sector,&amp;quot; budgeting of annual wage increases and escalating healthcare costs were behind the layoffs."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.just-style.com/news/ll-bean-to-slash-300-jobs_id89011.aspx>