Levi Strauss & Co. said it has...

Levi Strauss & Co. said it has decided to lay off 617 workers, saying it needs fewer employees now that it has streamlined its production plants. The announced cutback affects 350 workers in El Paso, Tex., and 267 in Murphy, N.C. Retailer demand for the company’s mens’ and boys’ jeans and jackets has dropped, the San Francisco-based firm said. The announcement said the layoffs will affect mostly night-shift workers. It also announced shorter workweeks in May for other El Paso workers and shorter weeks indefinitely for remaining workers in North Carolina.