Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:
Bermuda based on-shore oil rig company Nabors Industries revealed they’ve killed off at least 35-hundred jobs in the United States! While administrators told news media it was because of oil prices, CEO Anthony Petrello admitted to investors that the true reason is “They are shedding rigs based on a lack of long term contracts….” CFO William Restrepo expects their U.S. rig count to fall by 50%.
Pepsi and Coca-Cola announced they will each shutdown at least one of their bottling ops in Russia, blaming U.S. sanctions.
California: Employee management company Scarborough Management finally revealed they’ve gone bust and began shutting down offices across The Golden State starting back in January, more than 9-hundred jobs lost by May! In Costa Mesa, hotel Crowne Plaza Costa Mesa issued a WARN saying they will temporarily shutdown in May, 85 jobs lost. Colorado based solar power panel installer RGS Energy announced it will layoff 1-hundred Californians! Company administrators say it’s the result of their new business model.
Florida: In Tampa, professional-tech services company Leidos issued a WARN saying 85 people will be laid off in April. In Hollywood, military uniform maker and taxsucker Short Bark Industries issued a layoff WARN for May, saying 156 people will become unemployed!
Hawaii: Switzerland based GMO seed maker and farm chemicals seller Syngenta laid off 23 Hawaiians. Administrators say it’s part of their “Accelerating Reduction Leverage program” meant to cut $1-billion USD in operating costs by 2018! Proof the economy is not recovering.
Illinois: City administrators of Madison warned of layoffs for firefighters and police. The Village of Madison is short $8-million, due to crashing tax revenues, which is caused only by a suck-ass-economy. In Chicago, housewares retailer Crate & Barrel laid off under 30 of its HQ employees. Administrators admit they don’t see any economic recovery happening, saying they need “to align our work force with our future business strategies.” Also in Chicago, Oprah Winfrey turns her back and is moving her Harpo Studios to California, 2-hundred jobs lost!
Louisiana: Tulane University warned it must consider layoffs due to being constantly $20-million in the hole, year after year.
Massachusetts: State administrators warned they will force 45-hundred taxsucking state employees into early retirement starting in July! The gov’na also wants to layoff an undisclosed number of state workers, saying the land of Boston Weak needs to cut $178-million from the upcoming fiscal year’s budget. In Springfield, private Curtis Blake School shutdown with short notice to parents. Administrators blame what I call DSS (Disappearing Student Syndrome), as usual parents were shocked by the bad economic news: “This is a big huge blow, we weren’t expecting this at all!”-Melissa Sullivan
Minnesota: Minneapolis based Target announced they will kill off several thousands of jobs by 2017! It’s part of their plans to cut $2-billion in operating costs! More proof there is no economic recovery.
Montana: In Kalispell, Obama Care forcing 30 patients to find a new assisted living center by April. Reports indicate that the owner of Greenwood Village assisted living center can’t make money under Obama Care funding, so he’s turning it into a hotel!
New York: In East Elmhurst, Clarion Hotel issued a shutdown WARN for May, saying at least 44 employees will become jobless. In North Syracuse, Seneca Data Distributors amended their 2014 WARN, saying their shutdown will take place by the end of April. They are joining the mass exodus from The Empire State and moving to Arizona. In Painted Post, Sitel Operating Corporation issued a shutdown WARN for April, due to the loss of a major client, 120 jobs lost! In Huntington, Obama Care forcing mental healthcare provider The Pederson Krag Center to sell its offices across New York, at least 85 jobs lost between March and April (not known if new owner will continue operations). Bank of New York Mellon issued a shutdown WARN for their One Wall Street office, saying 50 people will become jobless by July. The Mondrian Soho Hotel issued a shutdown WARN for May, saying 201 employees will become jobless due to the property being foreclosed on! The New York Times ended its Home section, several jobs lost. Also in NYC, after 78 years the last sheet music store shutdown. The owner of Frank Music Company blames crashing sales: “We went from seeing 15 to 20 people per day to seeing two or three. I went from feeling like I was at the center of the world to feeling invisible.”-Heidi Rogers
Oklahoma: WPX Energy announced it will layoff 83 natural gas industry workers across the U.S. Also, most of the 156 employees in Colorado will be relocated to Oklahoma. Company administrators admitted they never budgeted for a drop in natural gas prices: “We’ve evaluated many options to adjust our cost structure, and no solution is perfect.”– Rick Muncrief, CEO
Oregon: After 11 years U.S. Postal mail digitizer Earth Class Mail is now chapter 11 bankrupt, but only to make their sale more easy. Earth Class Mail (Document Command and Remote Control Mail) turns your snail mail into electronic form so you can read it on your smart-phone. The debt loaded Earth Class Mail (which has lost money every year) is being sold to an unnamed company.
Pennsylvania: In Canton, reports that after 40 years of doctor office operations Arnot Health Systems shut it down. Local news reports say administrators with Arnot Health Systems would not talk to them.
South Dakota: In Aberdeen, after 106 years (surviving the Great deflationary Depression and numerous recessions) the family owners of Webb Shoe Company announced they will shutdown by May. The owners said they will try to rent out the property, but a fundamental shift in local economies has taken place: “It’s a whole new ballgame. Downtowns everywhere have been changing. They aren’t like they were in the 1970s and ’80s and mid-’90s. Downtown businesses have more of a niche feel now, with specialty shops and restaurants…. People come in now, look for a certain size, then go buy online somewhere.”-Jon Webb
Tennessee: After 70 years the Christian God refuses to stop the shutdown of Tennessee Temple University. Local news reports say some student athletes were told about the shutdown, and were also told not to tell anybody about it.
Texas: Wisconsin based Hamilton Scientific issued a WARN revealing they shutdown their Round Rock operations, 67 jobs lost. Administrators blamed “unforeseen business circumstances”. Evil call center contractor Convergys announced they will layoff 281 people at their Pharr call center, by the end of April! Administrators blamed the property owner saying “Basically our lease on the building will expire on August 31 and we decided not to renew the lease in that location.” Houston based off-shore oil rig company Cal Dive now chapter 11 bankrupt busted after failing to make the $2.2-million interest payment on a massive loan! Don’t blame oil prices, company administrators say they’ve been losing money since last year, after bad weather canceled at least two major projects: “Our business has experienced several adverse events that were beyond our control, and with our current capital structure, we are no longer able to financially withstand the industry downturn.”-Quinn Hébert, CEO
Virginia: In Midlothian, Kids R Kids daycare center shutdown with only one weeks notice. The operators said they’ve “experienced a period of financial difficulty and can no longer sustain ongoing operations.” 180 children affected.
West Virginia: First Community Bank announced they will shutdown their Mercer Mall office in May, blaming lack of “traffic”.
27 – 28 February 2015: “we have not been spared”
WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification
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.