Incomplete list of U.S. job loss announcements and shutdowns.
Investigation by the Rosen Consulting Group and the Asia Society has discovered that from 2010-15 Chinese ‘investors’ have bought more than $300-billion USD worth of commercial and residential U.S. properties and real estate securities. This can explain the sudden and unjustified skyrocketing rents (which coincide with the same time period) that are making U.S. families homeless and shutting down mom-n-pop businesses!
California: Los Angeles based ‘old oil well restorer’ BreitBurn Energy Partners now chapter 11 bankrupt busted.
Mississippi: A federal court ordered the Cleveland School District to merge its still segregated junior highs and high schools. This proves to you liberal law loving weenie heads that just because its one of your beloved laws on paper doesn’t mean its being complied with. The consolidation of segregated schools will result in layoffs.
Nebraska: In Lincoln, after 55 years Four Star Drug suddenly announced it was shutting down three stores! The owner blames a combination of jacked up rents (blame China) and ObamaCare. He pointed out that in 1980 only 30% of prescription drug costs were covered by insurance or government, 70% of customers paid in cash. Today he says 97% of drug costs are covered by insurance-government plans and under ObamaCare the insurance companies dictate the price, which is too low for small independent pharmacies to exist on.
Ohio: In Cincinnati, after two years happy belly On Vine shutting down their Over-the-Rhine ‘healthy foods’ location by the end of the month. It sounds like the owner is too busy with another restaurant and a “growing family”.
South Carolina: It was revealed that Frank Theatres CineBowl in Inlet Square Mall suddenly shutdown last Saturday. There was no comment by the theater operator or the mall owner. Local news reports say many theater customers are pissed, saying it was their only reason to go to the mall: “There’s no reason to be here! the only reason to come here was the movie theater. The only.”-John Chiesa
Tennessee: Automotive parts maker Leroy-Somer laying off 180 people at its Lexington factory, due to “a drop in demand for our industrial alternator products and the impact of the weakened economy”!
Texas: The city of Navasota eliminating 17 city jobs blaming crashing tax revenues due to the petroleum industry BS: “We have postponed projects, we have had a hiring freeze, we tried everything. Unfortunately, sales of natural gas and other utilities have not picked up.”-Brad Stafford, city manager
Virginia: Bristol Compressors eliminating 120 jobs, blaming the oil industry BS!
Washington DC: Reports that Corcoran School of Art and Design at George Washington University laid off ten professors, while at the same time hiring-on a new “visiting” professor. It’s connected to plans to merge with Columbian College of Arts and Sciences.
West Virginia: In Charleston, after 82 years (surviving The Great Depression and numerous recessions) clothier Kelly’s on Bridge shutting down by the end of the month.
Wisconsin: Graphic Packaging International shutting down their 70 years old Menasha industrial paper products factory, 228 jobs gone by Xmas 2016! Administrators admitted “We have acquired other facilities recently that have state-of-the-art capabilities.”
Wyoming: Due to incompetent doctors, which are now resulting in “a flood of litigation”, Powell Valley Healthcare now chapter 11 bankrupt busted.
WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification.
I found a 2010 AFL-CIO analysis (titled The Public Availability of WARN Notices: Lack of Accessibility and Disclosure…) which proves what I’ve been suspecting in my search of state WARN notices; most states are not complying with federal WARN regulations and are not publicizing or tracking mass layoffs.
Former employees who receive severance are not counted as unemployed!
Employees of religious non-profits might not qualify for unemployment assistance: “If the non-profit organization is a church, you may or may not be entitled to unemployment. It all depends upon state regulations for church employers. In many cases, churches are allowed to set their own rules regarding unemployment benefits, meaning the church can choose whether to offer benefits to former employees.”
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.”