As everyone knows, several factories in Longford have closed in recent years and employment in the existing factories has fallen. The labour force in the county in 1996 was 12,000, therefore the job losses as a result of the closures and lay-offs in the factories amounted to 6% of the labour force. This is a very large percentage against which the Cardinal Health project would be equivalent to more than 11% of the labour force. Therefore, the employment situation in the county was set to be transformed.