The ruling, published Tuesday in the Federal Register, finds that the Loveland business sent its software manufacturing to Malaysia, which is not part of a free-trade agreement with the United States.

Then, Agilent increased the amount of software it imported from Malaysia, according to the finding in the Federal Register.

Because “a significant number” of the laid-off workers are older than 50 and “possess skills that are not easily transferrable,” any employee who was “totally or partially separated from employment” after Jan. 10, 2007, can apply for benefits under the federal Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance program.

Those benefits include re-employment services to help laid-off workers find new jobs and receive employment counseling and resume and interview workshops.

Workers older than 50 who get new, full-time jobs with wages less than $50,000 could receive a government subsidy of 50 percent of the difference between the wages of their old and new jobs, up to $10,000 over a period of two years.

Those who receive the wage subsidy can also apply for tax credits to cover 65 percent of their monthly health insurance premiums.

ON THE NET: For more information, go to www.doleta.gov/tradeact/ benefits.cfm#1