OTTUMWA — A total of 81 employees at Synovate in Ottumwa were told the office will be closing and they will be out of work this fall.

“Our last day of operations will be Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009,” said Kelly Henry, Synovate director of operations for North America telephone research services. “It’s really based on economic factors in general that everyone is facing.”

Employees were told the news Wednesday, said Henry.

“It really has nothing to do with their production or quality,” she said, noting that the decision had nothing to do with Ottumwa’s economy.

While 80 part-time workers and one full-time employee will lose their jobs, Henry said the company is offering those employees the opportunity to stay with the company by working from home.

“We hope to be able to retain the majority of our agents here,” she said. “We’ve enjoyed our partnership here with the Ottumwa community.”

Synovate, located at 102 S. Market St., opened in Ottumwa in April of 2007. The company handles after-sales consumer research for major corporations.

Synovate employs nearly 6,000 people and has locations in 62 countries. The company was founded in 2003, according to the company’s Web site.