URBANA – A laid-off Facilities and Services worker says employees are "on pins and needles" as layoffs at the University of Illinois continue.

Jerome Wells, 45, said he was laid off last week after almost five years at the UI, and that he's not optimistic about finding carpentry work soon.

The campus released updated numbers Wednesday that said Facilities and Services has given 35 employees layoff notices since July 2009.

Of those 35, 23 were no longer employed by the department as of Monday, but four of them have found other employment within the UI, said spokeswoman Robin Kaler.

In addition, five workers have layoffs pending this spring, and the remaining seven have found other positions within the division. Also, workers who retire or die are not being replaced.

The department has about 1,270 employees, Kaler said.

She didn't know of any layoffs in any other Urbana campus unit.

Facilities and Services workers are especially vulnerable because, in contrast to departments with fixed budgets, the division relies on chargebacks from individual units as the need arises.

"Units across campus are postponing work that would normally be done by F&S, so the chargeback business at F&S is down," Kaler said via e-mail.

She said it was possible the division could lose more workers as the UI strives to keep down costs. The state currently owes the university more than $475.5 million.

Wells said the Facilities and Services workers who were laid off are facing challenges in an economic downturn some are calling the Great Recession.

"I'm trying to cope. I'm number 181 on the out-of-work carpenters union list," Wells said. "There's nothing out there right now, nothing lined up," he said.

Even before losing his job, he was facing stress.

"Everyone in my shop is on pins and needles. We don't know what's going to happen next. I head that in the mill (furniture) shop, they'll have two more layoff notices this week."

Wells said he "didn't see it coming" when layoffs were announced, and would love to return to Facilities and Services.

"It's a great place to work," he said.