The layoff total at IBM has reached 1,148 this afternoon as the numbers continue to come in from affected workers around the country, increasing more than fourfold over the figure reported a day ago.

The layoff numbers are being tallied by the Alliance@IBM, an organizing effort of the Communication Workers of America to unionize IBM's workers. An anonymous post on the organizing web site claims to be written by an affected worker at IBM's Research Triangle Park facility.

IBM has not confirmed the layoffs so union organizers are making estimates based on employee information. Affected workers receive information revealing how many employees in their work unit were affected and how many spared.

"It's a lot wider that I thought it was yesterday morning," said organizer Lee Conrad in upstate New York. "These are good-paying high-tech jobs," "They're specialist jobs, they're skilled jobs. And these jobs are going away."

Over 1,100 employees at Progress Energy and Duke Energy have volunteered for an early out program as the companies look to cut nearly 1,900 positions in anticipation of their planned merger.

The greatest number of those who came forward work in North Carolina, where Progress plans to eliminate its corporate headquarters when it consolidates operation with Duke in Charlotte.

That means Duke and Progress will still have to eliminate several hundred more jobs through a combination of layoffs, retirements and resignations. The staff cuts will take place over the next three years as the company seeks to eliminate a total of 1,860 positions during that time.

Most of the staff cuts will come through the voluntary buyout program offered several weeks ago at the two North Carolina electric companies. They said today that 1,153 workers have signed up to leave as part of a voluntary buyout program. They will be paid a severance based on the length of their tenure with the companies.

A local uniform manufacturer ceased operations on short notice and laid off 125 employees this month.

Royal Park Uniforms notified the N.C. Commerce Department that the financial institution backing the uniform company had cut off funding, forcing the local manufacturer to shut its doors.

The letter said the financing entity "would no longer fund payroll or any other expenses past November 10, 2011 at 5 p.m."

"This was a complete shock and surprise to RPU ownership and management," the company said in its letter to the N.C. Commerce Department. "There was no indication that the financial entity that RPU was dealing with would take such a strong stand."

A Youngsville company that makes catheters and related medical devices is permanently closing its manufacturing facility June 30 and laying off more than 100 employees.

Apogee Medical told the N.C. Department of Commerce last week that the closure is due to the transfer of product production to another plant owned by Apogee's parent company, Hollister Global.

Meanwhile, the Apogee plant will be taken over by a another medical manufacturer, Robling Medical. Robling Medical will continue manufacturing some products for Apogee at the plant in Youngsville, about 25 miles north of Raleigh.

It's not clear if Robling plans to hire any of the workers that Apogee will lay off. Company president Brent Robling did not return phone calls or e-mails.

A rug manufacturer about 100 miles northwest of Raleigh last week notified 141 workers that they will be laid off.

Mohawk Industries, based in Calhoun, Ga., blamed the layoffs at its Karastan Rug Mill and Karastan Sevice Center on "the global economic downturn and a dramatic decrease in sales," according to a layoff notice sent last week to the N.C. Department of Commerce.

The facility in Eden employs 326 people. About 185 will remain after the layoff.

A Triangle assembler of irrigation systems is the latest manufacturer in the state to fall victim to the prolonged recession.

Hunter Industries has notified the state Department of Commerce that it will shut down its Cary facility this year and lay off 76 people. The planned closure was forced by economic conditions as the company is consolidating operations at its corporate headquarters in California.

The privately-held company selected Cary in 1990 for its East Cost manufacturing and distribution site and began operations here in 1992.

Hunter Industries, founded in 1981, specializes in professional irrigation systems for landscape contractors and golf courses. It employs more than 1,000 people worldwide, according to its web site.