Company spokesman Dana Widerman said the layoff is due to “changes in one of our client’s business needs.” She did not name the client.

“Those affected were provided 60 days’ pay and benefits to provide them time to adjust and seek other employment,” she said via email. “We are actively looking to bring new business to our center in Boise and continue to provide new career opportunities for residents of the Boise metro area.”

According to the notice, 547 of the affected employees were customer service agents. Another 38 were team leaders. The WARN notice said the company is working to move “many affected employees as possible” to another department, it did not specify how many positions are available.

SYKES opened its facility in Boise in August 2015. When asked how many employees of the company are still employed in Boise after the layoff, Wiederman said “staffing levels vary.”

On the day of the layoff, Boise Police Department has several officers on scene at the request of the company. According to BPD spokesman Haley Williams, this is similar to requests the police receive for security by private organizations. However, she said it is rare to receive a request for a layoff.

Georgia Smith, spokeswoman for the Idaho Department of Labor, said she expects many of the employees who were laid off to be rehired quickly because of Boise’s strong economy and the presence of other local customer service companies actively hiring.

“There are other companies such as Citibank, T-Mobile, HP, and Micron that have been setting up booths at events and aggressively recruiting employees,” she said. “They’re not just waiting for people to file or call online.”

Employees who might want to change career paths are encouraged to contact the labor department for assistance with networking opportunities, resume assistance and other career counseling to help them make the transition, Smith said.

According to the list of WARN notices on the Idaho Department of Labor’s website, this layoff is the largest mass termination of employees in Idaho since the Maximus call center, formerly located in the same building as Sykes, laid off 1,600 in February 2014.