AUBURN – A Maine company that makes laminates for products including countertops says the sagging housing industry is to blame for the elimination of 48 jobs.

Pioneer Plastics, which employs about 300 people in Auburn, reduced its work force by 16 percent, effective Friday. Workers learned of the cuts the day before.

The Maine Department of Labor’s rapid response team will work with laid-off workers to help them file for unemployment and train for new jobs.

Pioneer Plastics has been in business for more than three decades. It is owned by Panolam Industries International, a Connecticut-based company.