Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:
Alabama: Maker of insulation and hardware for utility companies, MacLean Power Systems, announced they will shutdown their Red Hollow Road factory in October, 75 jobs lost (although company administrators claim they can transfer to other factories).
Arizona: Reports that military taxsucker General Dynamics is threatening as many as 4-thousand jobs in Scottsdale, by shutting down and moving their Scottsdale ops to Virginia! General Dynamics has already sold off one huge building, and reports say the massive move will take place in January 2015.
California: Spin Media killed more jobs. This time 19 people were let go, and they ended publication of their their hard copy magazine Vibe. Back in January the music news media outlet killed 14 jobs. The Calaveras Unified School District announced they must kill an estimated 50 jobs. They blame years of what I call Disappearing Student Syndrome (DSS) for creating a $2-million USD shortfall! In San Mateo, Sears Holdings shutdown one of two local Kmarts, 82 jobs lost. Local news reports say the Kmart is being replaced with a building housing public transportation and apartments. What automotive industry recovery? Yet another California Superstores car dealer going down, this time in Valencia in November, 64 jobs lost. Obama Care killing off Morrison Healthcare, which announced they’re shutting down their Los Alamitos and Palm Springs ops in November, 138 jobs lost! In San Jose, BD Biosciences warned it will kill 60 jobs in November.
Florida: In Weston, Too Big to Jail American Express announced they will kill 113 Global Billing Services jobs in November! The bad global economy is forcing them to downsize. In Jacksonville, after 68 years Fred Cotten’s BBQ shutdown, the current owner-operator revealed the U.S. economy has always sucked for him: “The financial aspect of this, I cannot continue to absorb it. I’ve never made a profit here in 14 years, and that’s the truth!”-Bill Cowart, took over restaurant in 2000
Georgia: In Macon, after 43 years music venue Grants Lounge shutdown by violent crime. The owner says they’ve been trying to address the problem by looking into things like more security and moving to a new location, but nothing seems to be working out for them.
Idaho: The fact that so many former employees of recently created Scientech (a division of nuclear industry Curtiss-Wright Flow Control Company) are applying for unemployment assistance reveals a layoff of at least 25 people in Idaho Falls. Local news reports say company administrators refuse to talk. At the end of 2013, Scientech announced they were to set up business in Idaho Falls by the summer of 2014, meaning the company had just barely started ops before killing jobs already.
Illinois: In Wheaton, after 25 years MC Sports supply store shutdown. There were reports that the new owner of the property is running all the existing business out, such as the IHOP restaurant located on the same property.
Maine: In Portland, after 25 years vegetarian Pepperclub-Good Egg Café shutdown. Local news reports said the owner had “…anticipated a very profitable summer….but numbers dipped this summer to levels I have never seen!” The owner also blamed steadily increasing rent: “I’m so confused as to what happened. I know the city has reached a saturation point. I was looking at places that were $35 a square foot and I just about fell over!”-Melissa Sawyer
Minnesota: It’s been revealed that of the 18 Roundy’s Rainbow grocery stores that were up for sale, nine failed to sell and were shutdown, and two that were sold were shutdown by the new owner (Jerry’s Enterprises), nearly 1-thousand jobs lost!
Mississippi: In Jackson, after more than 85 years (surviving the Great Depression and numerous recessions) Wright and Ferguson Funeral Home shutdown. The family owners referred to the bad economy as “changing business conditions”.
Nevada: In Las Vegas, the Kardashian family announced they will shutdown their three years old Kardashian Khaos store in October.
New Jersey: What I call Disappearing Student Syndrome (DSS) forcing Brookdale Community College to warn of layoffs: “These are tough times and the organizational structure we have now is not sustainable; the board is aware of this harsh fact. Our current models are no longer effective in serving today’s students, and we must catch up with the advances that have been made in educational technology.”-Maureen Murphy, president
New York: In Canton, kitchen utensil maker Corning is now asking its newly hired employees to voluntarily quit! In the middle of August Corning hired on 40 new employees, but now says a sudden and huge crash in sales is forcing them to cancel their plans for expansion. The Metropolitan Opera laid off 22 administration staff. Opera administrators said “The reductions are part of an ongoing effort to make the 131-year-old organization leaner fiscally…”
Ohio: Too Big to Jail PNC Bank announced it is shutting down offices in Cleveland and Elyira between now and November. Bank administrators blame it on the changing habits of their ‘customers’.
Texas: In Round Rock, after only nine months Curly’s Carolina BBQ restaurant shutdown. Fort Worth based Radio Shack warned its stockholders that they are on the verge of chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Washington DC: What housing market recovery? At a time when rents are going up the federal government has decided to cut rent subsidies (Section 8) for low income renters in the country’s capital city. Apparently the Section 8 program for Washington DC is short $37-million! This doesn’t just affect the renters but the landlords as well, because you can’t squeeze blood from a turnip.
Wisconsin: In Milwaukee, iconic home and industry food canning supplier Ball announced they will kill 24 jobs in November. They killed 74 jobs at the same factory last year. Company administrators blame it on crashing sales to corporate food producers. After almost 40 years Roger Stevens Menswear shutdown. What housing market recovery? The Greater Milwaukee Association of Realtors reports the city has suffered eight years in a row of crashing home sales! In La Crosse, Hooters restaurant shutdown. Restaurant administrators said it’s not worth it to renew the lease. Bon-Ton announced it will shutdown a Naperville furniture store in January 2015, 20 jobs lost.
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 shutdown. It doesn’t count people who get a severance for being laid off.