ONE in five Samsung employees are still out of work more than six months after it was announced the factory was to close.

Figures released yesterday by regional development agency One NorthEast showed that 20 per cent of former Samsung employees made redundant from its Wynyard, Teesside, plant earlier this year are still out of work and not in training.

Of the 397 made redundant, nearly 90 workers are unemployed.

When electronics components manufacturer Fujitsu closed its Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, operations in the late 1990s, 94 per cent of the workforce had found jobs within six months and JobCentre Plus, which is working with Samsung employees, had hoped to hit similar targets.

A One NorthEast spokes-man said: "JobCentre Plus will be continuing with its ultimate aim to get everyone back into work if possible.

"We want firms to realise that these people have got the skills and they could be transferred into other jobs across the North-East."

In all, 397 people were made redundant from the Samsung workforce of 418, with 21 workers remaining on site to wind operations down.

Jobcentre Plus staff have supplied workers with job search advice and guidance and advice on job training.

The former workers on training courses are gaining skills in areas of skills shortages.

George Garlick, Samsung Project Group chairman and chief executive of Stockton Borough Council, said: "The work of the project group is far from over. We will continue to work to help the remaining employees find new opportunities and we will continue to track their progress."