FOND DU LAC, Wis. — Mercury Marine, one of the largest employers in the Fox Valley area, said it plans to temporarily lay off 1,700 hourly workers now through the end of the year. 

The layoffs will take place one week at a time, lasting anywhere from six to eight weeks.

The company said this will impact most of its hourly workers in Fond du Lac. Mercury Marine emphasized that these layoffs are not permanent.

The layoffs are happening “to right-size production in light of continued soft demand.” The company said these temporary layoffs will “coincide with those of our boat builder partners’ production schedules.”

The decision comes after Mercury Marine permanently laid off 300 workers in June. Mercury Marine currently has more than 3,500 full-time employees in Fond du Lac. Mercury Marine — which makes boat motors and other boating products — said it makes an annual economic impact of about $5 billion to the community.

The boat manufacturing industry has seen multiple layoffs in Wisconsin over the last several months. BRP in Sturtevant laid off 148 people on May 23, after laying off 150 people on March 21.