WINSTON-SALEM – Officials with Dell Inc. said Wednesday was the last day of work for 400 of the more than 900 workers losing jobs at the southeastern Forsyth County manufacturing plant.

The rest of the employees are scheduled to work until January, when Dell closes the plant opened with fanfare four years ago.

Dell spokeswoman Donna Oldham told WXII-TV this week that some of the laid-off workers already have found new jobs and left the company.

The laid-off workers are getting severance packages equal to two months of pay plus an additional week of pay for every year worked. They also will receive health insurance coverage for several months and job placement assistance, WXII reports.

Dell announced last month it was closing the facility, which received the largest pledge of state and local economic incentives in North Carolina history. Had Dell kept the plant open, the Texas-based computer conglomerate could have received incentives of more than $300 million.

The company has repaid $26 million in incentives to the city of Winston-Salem, Forsyth County and other local entities. State officials have indicated they expect to get back $1.5 million of the $8.5 million that was paid to Dell – the remainder of the state incentives to the company wasn’t legally required to be reimbursed if Dell closed the Winston-Salem operation early.

City officials have indicated they are working to find a new tenant for the building.