US politicians have said they want to assist Amaranth, the Connecticut-based hedge fund that lost two-thirds of its assets on natural gas bets, by helping its hundreds of employees find jobs locally.

The offer by Jodi Rell, governor of Connecticut, comes after Amaranth chief operating officer Charlie Winkler said the group would dismiss roughly 200 to 250 of its 420 staff. In an unprecedented move Amaranth has been contacting rival hedge funds to try and find jobs for its staff.