U.S. Job Losses & Store Closings 06 – 09 June 2014: “the effort just wasn’t bringing a return” More employment services shutting down! Rite Aid stabs union workers in the back! Yes, more ObamaCare job cuts!

Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:

The U.S. Census Bureau reports that from 1999 to 2013 the number of people moving across the country because of employment reasons remained unchanged at 10%.  This is a sign that the job market has been stagnant for far longer than the 2007-09 Recession.

France based Hachette Book Group confirmed it will layoff 28 U.S. employees due to crashing sales.  The book publisher is best known for Harry Potter, but no magic can save the company from the bad economy or its problems with Amazon.

Alabama: In Tuscaloosa, legal drugs pusher Rite Aid announced they will shutdown their distribution center over the next two years, 299 jobs lost!  It is one of three Rite Aid distribution centers being shutdown in the United States.

California: In Santa Anna, PSS World Medical shutting down in August.  In Cerritos, hospital ER and Urgent Care contractor RevCycle+ announced it is killing 256 medical billing jobs in August!  They laid off 26 employees back in February.  In Milpitas, Korea based Samsung Semiconductor announced they are killing 111 high tech jobs in August!  Since 2009 Samsung has been slowly shutting down its U.S. operations, despite billions of USD in investments.  In Laguna Niguel, Kroger owned Ralph’s grocery store shutting down in July.   In Newport Beach, after ten years successful Z Pizza shutdown by the landlord.  The property owner refused to renew the lease.  In Irvine, Red Brick Pizza forced to shutdown by the same property owners that shutdown Z Pizza.  A Denny’s restaurant is being shutdown because the property owner (apparently the same one who shutdown the two pizza joints) refuses to renew the lease.  An upscale Elephant Bar & Restaurant shutting down.  Restaurant officials refused to say why.

Florida:  Manatee County Schools laid off 12 employees.  Reports that the Hollywood Pavilion mental hospital and its Hollywood Hills Rehabilitation Center are being foreclosed.  No word on how many jobs will be affected.  The hospital’s former CEO is now serving a 25 years federal prison sentence for frauding the government, and for bribing patients.   Emilio and Gloria Estefan’s Bongos Cuban Cafe shutdown.  They could not renew the lease.

Georgia: WellStar Health System eliminated 29 positions.  It’s blamed on Obama Care: “The healthcare industry is going through unprecedented changes. There is uncertainty around every corner. In 2013, the U.S. government began cutting $113 billion from hospital payments over the next 10 years with $400 billion additional cuts under discussion.  As a not-for-profit health system, we face an extraordinary challenge to plan for the future without knowing the payment mechanisms.”-David Anderson, VP HR

Hawaii: In Kauai, after 98 years the Kojima Store shutdown.  The family owners blamed decreasing sales and increasing costs of operations.

Illinois: God refuses to stop all powerful Obama Care from forcing Saint John’s Hospital from laying off 43 employees.  In Joliet, employment service Randstad announced it will kill 125 jobs in July!  California based supply company Menlo Worldwide Logistics announced it will layoff 77 people in July.  In Northbrook,  Swizterland based Nestle’s shutdown their DiGiorno and Jack’s Frozen Pies factory, 66 jobs lost.  They are consolidating operations.  In Niles, audio and video equipment maker Shure announced they’re shutting down in August, 50 jobs lost.  In Chicago, advertising company Leo Burnett quietly laid off about ten employees.  It might have something to do with losing a McDonald’s contract.   The ad agency laid off about 40 people back in February.  Heavy equipment maker Caterpillar shutting down four of its Anchor Coupling production and logistics facilities, at least 170 full time jobs lost!

Kentucky: Wisconsin based electric motor maker Regal Beloit announced they’re shutting down their Mount Sterling factory, 212 jobs will be lost by 2015!   The layoffs will begin in July/August.

Maryland: In Baltimore two restaurants, California based Pabu and Lamill, shutdown.

Michigan:  Lawrence Technological University shutting down their 10 years old Center for Nonprofit Management by July.  In Jackson, Too Big to Jail FirstMerit bank shutdown two locations.  It’s part of the bank’s plan to close 26 offices in five states.  In Coloma, after 54 years Nancy’s Furniture (aka Nilson’s Furniture) shutdown.  The owner says their sales never recovered from the ‘recession’: “We tried very hard to keep our business well and to see it through hard times. The time had to come when the effort just wasn’t bringing a return, and that time is right now.”-Jim Edwards

Minnesota:  In Minneapolis, after 25 years the Saks Off 5th store announced it is shutting down in Jaunary.

Missouri:  God refuses to stop all powerful Obama Care from killing as many as 300 jobs in the Mercy hospital system! Mercy’s layoffs will hit several hospitals throughout The Show Me State.  Mercy is the sixth largest Catholic hospital system in the U.S.

New Jersey: Gloucester Manor Rehabilitation and Care killed 130 healthcare jobs!  This is because the nursing home is now under government investigation, placed on the Special Focus List for the next 36 months.  After only seven years upscale furniture retailer Design Spree shutting down two stores.  Bankruptcy could be next.

New Mexico: In Bernalillo, after 37 years the TaGrMo True Value hardware store shutdown.  The owner said the “poor economy” is a sign that it’s time to retire.

New York: In Yonkers, after only two years Brio Tuscan Grille announced they will shutdown in August, 78 jobs lost.  Restaurant officials blame the suck-ass economy.  In Jamaica, Swissport USA announced it is laying off 180 cargo handlers at the JFK Airport in August!  In Syracuse, Travelers Indemnity announced it is shutting down by September, 80 employees to become unemployed between now and April 2015.

North Carolina: In Charlotte, legal drugs pusher Rite Aid announced they will shutdown their distribution center over the next two years.  Rite Aid is consolidating its eastern U.S. distribution centers.

Ohio: Food processor ConAgra killing 170 jobs! The company is shutting down two popcorn factories.  It’s blamed on its takeover of Ralcorp.  In North Toledo, Mitt Romney connected Toys R Us shutting down in July, 30 jobs lost.  Youngstown State University eliminated 58 positions.  University officials said state officials have already cut $20-million USD in funding over the past three years, but that $22-million is going to be cut for the 2014-15 school year!  The University laid off employees in 2013 as well.

Oregon: In Portland, after 13 years Jackpot Records shutdown almost one month earlier than first announced.

South Carolina: What automotive industry recovery?  In Spartanburg County, after only four years France base car parts maker Faurecia shutting down, 150 jobs lost!   In Vista, after more than 55 years Bluestein Wholesale Dry Goods shutdown, it’s blamed on one of the owners developing brain cancer.

Tennessee:  In Oak Ridge, the Food Lion grocery store shutdown, 40 jobs lost.

Texas: San Antonio Children’s Museum shutdown and now for sale.  The building will be totally vacated by 2015.

Virginia:  Military contractor NW Systems now chapter 11 bankrupt busted.  This comes as the company had its employee 401k program seized and a lawsuit filed over who really owns the company (among many other lawsuits).

West Virginia: In Poca, legal drugs pusher Rite Aid announced they will shutdown their distribution center over the next three years, 250 jobs will be lost!  Originally Rite Aid was going to close the warehouse in 2016, but the employee’s union went berserk.  Unionized employees accused Rite Aid of stabbing them in the back, because they made concessions in exchange for keeping the distribution center open.  Rite Aid will now keep the warehouse open until 2017, which is apparently when the union contract ends.

Wisconsin: In La Crosse, the Mayo Clinic has revised the number of medical transcriptionists to become unemployed, upward.  Now 188  jobs lost in September!  Mayo Clinic decided to go ahead and outsource all its transcription work.  In Tomah, native American owned Hardware Hank store shutting down in July.

04 – 05 June 2014: “I don’t know if we can overcome this”

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) doesn’t count the hundreds of layoffs involving less than 50 people each, in its mass layoff reports. It also doesn’t count all the little ‘mom & pop’ businesses that shut down.

“Our ideals and principles, as well as our national security…..That’s what makes America different. That’s what makes us exceptional.”-Barack Obama, 10 September 2013