L.L.Bean will furlough all but 50 of its 200 workers at a Bangor call center next month under what the company calls an "extended lack of work program."

"They will remain active employees with seniority and all benefits," L.L. Bean spokeswoman Carolyn Beem told the Bangor Daily News Friday. "Hopefully, we'll be able to reassess in the summer and bring them all back." The recession has worsened what's already a typically a slow time of year for the company and other retailers. Last month, L.L. Bean released its 2008 financial report, which showed a drop in revenue of 7.8% from 2007.

The 50 employees who remain in Bangor will be chosen by seniority. A letter sent to employees this week from L.L. Bean's human resources department said the company is in talks with a potential business partner in Bangor to develop a shared facility and staff business model, the paper reported. The call center opened in the fall of 2005.

L.L.Bean announced last month that it was considering cost-saving measures. Incentives for employees who choose early retirement will end later this month, at which point involuntary layoffs are likely, Beem said, according to the paper.