Zenith to Eliminate About 1,175 U.S. Jobs

Zenith Electronics Corp. said it will slash about 25% of its U.S. work force and take a $25-million charge in the fourth quarter to cover the cuts. The sole U.S. maker of televisions, which is controlled by South Korea’s LG Group, said it will eliminate 375 salaried positions by the end of the 1997 first quarter. About 800 hourly jobs will be cut next year at its Melrose Park, Ill., picture tube plant, which is being modernized to produce high-resolution picture tubes and computer monitors. The Glenview, Ill.-based company hasn’t posted an annual profit since 1988. “Our fixed costs are simply too high for a company with sales at our levels and reporting such huge losses,” Peter S. Willmott, Zenith’s recently elected president and chief executive, told employees.