Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:
Arizona: In Tempe, after almost 60 years restaurant Monti’s La Casa Vieja shutdown. The owner blamed increasing operating costs.
California: Warner Brothers administrators notified state employment administrators that they will kill off 1-thousand movie & TV industry jobs beginning in January 2015! In San Diego, troubled Bridgepoint Education killing 167 jobs, more than the previously announced 91 jobs! This on top of the 117 jobs already killed this year! A local TV news station said the job culling was revealed by employees. In Sacramento, 19 years old non-profit HIV-AIDS testing center Breaking Barriers shutdown. Administrators blame the bad economy: “When the economic downturn happened it hit us hard a lot of grants were scaled back and canceled.”-Sandre’ Nelson
Georgia: The city of Albany warned of more layoffs, on top of the 50 jobs already killed off. The interim city manager seems to be frothing at the mouth to kill jobs: “We gotta reduce some stuff, early retirement, attrition, and termination, whatever it takes. I’ll spend money on technology before I’ll spend money on additional people any day of the week.”-Tom Berry
Illinois: In Geneva, after more than 60 years Giesche Shoes shutdown. It was also revealed that the more than 150 years old McChesney & Miller grocery store shutdown last week. In Roscoe Village, after 17 years the owners of the Hungry Brain said they will shutdown in December. Reports imply it’s part of a trend of many local joints being shutdown by greedy landlords who want more rent money. What automotive industry recovery? In Chicago, it was revealed that 1-hundred Ford employees were fired on Halloween. Ford administrators said they notified the employees via automated ‘robocalls’, yet many employees said they thought the electronic message was somebody’s Halloween joke.
Indiana: Columbus Regional Health announced that ObamaCare was forcing them to eliminate 219 jobs! Administrators say ObamaCare has caused them to loose about $17-million in 2014!
Iowa: Retailer Target announced they’re shutting down their Clinton store in February 2015, about 79 jobs lost. Administrators said the store wasn’t making enough money: “The decision to close the store is based solely on the financials.”-Evan Lapiska
Kansas: In Salina, after 35 years The Quilting Bee fabric store shutdown. After 91 years (surviving the Great Depression and numerous recessions) Jilka Furniture announced it will shutdown in December: “With the many changes taking place in the furniture industry, we felt it was a wise decision to close our store.”-Bud and Loretta Jilka
Missouri: In Springfield, Kroger announced it will shutdown four Dillons grocery stores in January 2015, supposedly they’re being sold off to competitor Price Cutter (an employee owned op like WinCo). However, administrators with Price Cutter were actually upset at the news and said they never made Kroger an offer to buy the Dillons stores, in fact it was Kroger who came begging to Price Cutter. Price Cutter agreed to a lease, not an outright purchase: “Dillions announcement to exit all four Springfield locations in January, 2015 is disappointing news….Dillions approached us of their intent to vacate the Springfield market….Price Cutter has entered into a real estate agreement to lease all four of the Dillions locations.”-Erick Taylor, Price Cutter president
New Jersey: Brookdale Community College (supposedly the Garden State’s top two year degree school) warned of layoffs due to DSS (what I call Disappearing Student Syndrome). Administrators say crashing enrollment is causing them to be short $8.5-million for the upcoming 2015-16 school year!
New York: Endicott based IBM (International Business Machines) revealed they are laying off one third of their international workforce, at least doubling previously announced job cuts. Reports say in India alone 50-thousand IBM employees will become jobless! In NYC, The Food Emporium issued a WARN saying they’re shutting down their #36-767 in January 2015, about 60 jobs lost. In Avon, Jacobson Warehouse issued a WARN saying they’re shutting down in January 2015, about 11 jobs lost. Windmill Distributing issued a WARN saying they’re shutting down their beverage distribution ops in Brooklyn and Montgomery in January 2015, at least 736 jobs lost!
North Dakota: Reports that Case-International Harvester is eliminating 40 jobs in Fargo.
Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh based United States Steel (USS) announced it will layoff 56 Canadians at its Hamilton operations. USS administrators say there is a glut of steel on the market which is causing the price to crash, so they’re shutting down production. After only two years Station Street Hot Dogs shutdown. The owners decided not to renew their lease, claiming other projects were getting in the way. Pennsylvania Power and Light (PPL) revealed its plans to eliminate 450 jobs: “Our transition plans are on schedule and we have made substantial progress developing the plans to achieve at least $155 million in Talen Energy annual run-rate synergies. The full extent of the identified annualized synergies is expected to be realized beginning in mid-2016.”-press release
Texas: Oil rig support services operator Hercules Offshore is eliminating 342 jobs! Company administrators blame declining demand for oil for their loss of $88.6-million during their 3rd quarter 2014! Retailer Target announced they’re shutting down their 16 years old Austin store in January 2015, about 83 jobs lost.
Washington: In Seattle, the owners of Seastar Restaurant & Raw Bar announced they will shutdown in January 2015.
Wisconsin: It was revealed that retailer JCPenney sold off its Regency Mall store and it will be shutdown, 80 jobs lost. Administrators said the store wasn’t making enough money.
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.