Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:
California: More proof the internet is not to blame for brick-n-mortar shutdowns; Sunnyvale based rent-utility electronic payment service PayNearMe failed to raise the crowd funding they wanted and laid off an undisclosed number of employees. They also canceled their rent payment service located in Family Dollar stores.
Colorado: Meridian based money transfer company Western Union shutting down all its operations in Greece, supposedly temporarily.
Florida: University of Florida shutting down the high security lab and quarantine facility known as Indian River Research and Education Center, due to the gov-na vetoing funding, 12 jobs lost. In Palm Beach, after 87 years (surviving the Great deflationary Depression and numerous recessions) newsstand Main Street News shutting down. The owner laments that no matter what he tried people have just stopped buying hardcopy journals: “I’ve had no other opportunities to make it work. I finally had to pull the plug.”-Thomas Morrison
Idaho: The false conservative/Republican state ‘lawmakers’ created new taxes and fees which will now impact already cash strapped taxpayers. Vehicle registrations fees increasing by $21, and by much more for vehicles deemed to be fuel efficient such as electric cars. The fuel tax increasing by an additional 7 cents per gallon. Taxpayer funded teacher pay being increased, which implies taxes will have to be raised to pay for it. A total of 342 new ‘laws’ were approved, can you figure them out? Way to put the brakes on any economy recovery you ‘Republicans’! (jacking up taxes is a sign of a failed state system)
Indiana: The Oliver Winery Downtown, restaurant Max’s Place, and restaurant El Norteño all shutdown in Bloomington’s town square. It’s blamed on massive competition for “entertainment dollars”.
Minnesota: Tax-sucking Maplewood based 3M warned it will shutdown its body and vehicle armor operations. Administrators blame the U.S. Army for dragging its taxpayer funded feet on a new contract. They also revealed they’ve already laid off 50 people in Kentucky and 40 people in California.
New Jersey: More nails in the coffin for Atlantic City; the close to bankrupt Trump Entertainment Resorts announced it has canceled plans to re-open the former Trump Plaza casino, for at least ten years, in order to avoid paying the new taxes imposed by gov-na Chris Christie.
New York: Envoy Air issued layoff WARNs for John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia International Airport, at least 46 aircraft maintenance jobs lost by September. Drugs pusher Walgreens-Boots Alliance shutdown their eight years old Ogdensburg store, 20 jobs lost.
Ohio: In Mount Healthy, the 11 years old game playing store Yottaquest shutting down in August. Jamboree Foods shutting down their Pierpoint grocery store by the end of the week: “It’s just getting to the point where all the Walmarts and drug stores kept nickel and diming us….It’s hard. I’m not going to be able to retire, I’m just going to close the store. My whole life savings is tied into the store!”-Dan Swift, owner
Pennsylvania: Clothier Gap and Gap Kids shutting down its stores in the Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley. It’s part of the California based company’s plan to shutdown at least 175 stores. In Philadelphia, Chiarella’s Ristorante shutdown. The owner said “We’re not closing because we want to close” the greedy landlord was “pushing” them out.
Puerto Rico: The gov-na of the U.S. territory announced they are in a “Death spiral” and cannot pay $72-billion in debts. Alejandro García Padilla stated “The debt is not payable. There is no other option. I would love to have an easier option. This is not politics, this is math.” On 17 June I wrote how there’s a mass exodus of people fleeing Puerto Rico. Reports say as a U.S. territory Puerto Rico can’t claim bankruptcy protection, like Detroit did, and the Obama regime says they’ll be no taxpayer funded bailout.
Texas: Arizona based Avnet shutting down its Coppell eCycling operations, at least 71 jobs lost. Administrators blame the bad economy for forcing them to consolidate operations.
Utah: The visitors center of Little Sahara Recreation Area temporarily shutdown. It’s blamed on an attempt to cut costs and on lack of visitation during summer.
27 – 28 June 2015: “It’s just gotten to be too much work…”
WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification
The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) no longer issues mass layoff reports: “On March 1, 2013, President Obama ordered into effect the across-the- board spending cuts (commonly referred to as sequestration) required by the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, as amended. Under the order, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) must cut its current budget by more than $30 million, 5 percent of the current 2013 appropriation, by September 30, 2013. In order to help achieve these savings and protect core programs, the BLS will eliminate two programs, including Mass Layoff Statistics, and all ‘measuring green jobs’ products. This news release is the final publication of monthly mass layoff survey data.”