Harpo Plans to Lay Off Workers

Oprah Winfrey's Chicago departure may leave up to a third of her Harpo staff without jobs.

Harpo Studios last month notified the Illinois Department of Employment Security of its plans to lay off workers. The agency's monthly Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act report was released Wednesday.

Crain's Chicago Business reported the production company filed notice of its intent to lay off an unspecified number of workers beginning May 25. Winfrey ended her show, produced in Chicago, last month.

Employees are being notified on a "departmental basis" whether their jobs will be eliminated, Crain's reported, citing an email from a Harpo spokeswoman.

Harpo employed about 400 workers last year, after about 50 workers left to join the Los Angeles-based Oprah Winfrey Network.

Harpo Studios will be home to Rosie O'Donnell's latest daytime television effort, which is set to debut this fall on OWN.