Symbolics to Lay Off About 30 Workers in Chatsworth

Symbolics said it is laying off about 30 people at its Chatsworth plant, the result of a broad restructuring that was disclosed last week by the financially ailing company.

The firm, based in Cambridge, Mass., has its manufacturing facilities in Chatsworth and makes computers used in artificial intelligence--a term used to describe computers that emulate human reasoning.

Overall, the company said, about 10% of its 730 employees will be laid off. Thomas F. Farb, Symbolics’ acting chief financial officer, said Symbolics has about 240 employees in Chatsworth.

Symbolics said the restructuring would cause a sizable charge against its earnings for the second quarter, ended Jan. 3, that would substantially increase its loss. The company did not specify how large the charge would be. It said its financial results will be released by the end of the month.

Sales of artificial intelligence-related equipment have been soft recently. In the first quarter, ended Oct. 4, Symbolics lost $4.5 million on revenue of $24 million.