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Dell remained mum Thursday about the extent of the layoffs this week at its Forsyth County computer assembly plant, but Winston-Salem officials called reports that 300 people had lost their jobs inaccurate.

“That number is grossly overstated,” said Gayle Anderson, president of the Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce. “It’s just a lot of speculation, and I don’t think it is informed speculation.”

Reports published Thursday said the number of layoffs ranged between 70 and 300.

Dell officials would say only that the workers laid off Wednesday at the Forsyth County plant did not report for work Thursday, but the company would not provide information on the types of jobs eliminated.

“We are not providing any context on that,” said Venancio Figueroa III, a company spokesman. “It was jobs across the board, across the company and across the globe.”

Dell, the world’s second-largest computer maker, said about a year ago that it planned to cut $3 billion from its annual expenses, in part by laying off 8,800 people, or 10 percent of its global work force.

As of Jan. 30, the Texas-based company said it had surpassed that goal and cut its work force by 9,300.

In February, Dell raised its savings goal to $4 billion and indicated that the additional cuts would come from layoffs and supply-chain improvements.

Dell has been struggling with slimmer margins as PC prices have dropped. At the same time, the economic crisis has added to its problems as consumers and businesses have postponed computer purchases.

The company has begun shifting work from its own factories to less-expensive contract manufacturers and has said it is reviewing all plants and operations. It has not publicly discussed plant closures.

The Forsyth County plant opened in 2005 after state and local officials promised economic incentives worth $280 million.

The company told Winston-Salem leaders that the local layoffs would affect a small percentage of its 1,400 workers.

Figueroa called the layoffs “a difficult and necessary decision,” adding that affected workers would receive severance packages, placement services and career counseling.

Anderson said it’s not unusual for Dell to be secretive about its actions.

“They are very, very concerned about the competitiveness of the information,” she said. “They always have been, from day one.”

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Contact Donald W. Patterson at 373-7027 or don.patterson@news-record.com