Wells Fargo plans to reduce its Home Mortgage staff in Vancouver by 72 and eventually close its call center at 521 S.E. Chkalov Drive.
In a media statement released on Thursday, the company said the call center job cuts are the result of improving foreclosure rates; those impacted work with mortgage customers to help them avoid foreclosure, and fewer of those positions are needed.
Wells Fargo has provided the 72 employees with a 60-day notice, making them eligible to receive pay and benefits through Oct. 9.
“The decision to reduce our workforce is made with great concern for our team members, who have each been an essential part of our success,” said Tom Unger, Wells Fargo spokesperson. “We are committed to retaining as many of them as we can. Where possible, we are working to identify other opportunities for them within Wells Fargo, or support them as they transition to the next phase of their careers.
“We continue to adjust capacity within our lines of business to meet customer needs and to ensure we’re operating as efficiently and effectively as possible,” he added.
According to Unger, the job cuts will reduce the number of workers at the Vancouver call center to a half-dozen. Wells Fargo plans to relocate the remaining staff members to other nearby offices, freeing up the company to exit its lease there in the near future.
Wells Fargo has leased the Chkalov Drive building since 2003, at one point employing more than 500.
“We’ll still have about 200 team members in Clark County,” noted Unger.
