EVELETH — More than 400 United Taconite employees on Minnesota’s Iron Range are expected to be off the job for up to six months.

Lower prices in an oversupplied steel market are blamed for the temporary layoffs in Eveleth and Forbes.

Cliffs Natural Resources said about 400 hourly workers and nearly 50 salaried employees will receive partial pay during the furloughs. No severance will be paid because the company expects to rehire the workers later this year or in 2016.

The layoffs follow a recent announcement by U.S. Steel that 400 worker will be recalled at Minntac, the state’s largest taconite producer, based in Mountain Iron. According to a press release, hundreds of workers remain on layoff at three other mining operations in Minnesota.