Incomplete list of job loss announcements and shutdowns.

Hawaii: Taxpayer funded Wahiawa General Hospital is begging for emergency funding to stop it from shutting down.  Administrators revealed that since ObamaCare went into effect they’ve lost $9-million USD!

Idaho: National Basketball Association D-league team the Idaho Stampede announced they’re getting the hell-outta Boise and moving to Salt Lake City, Utah.  They’re also changing their name to Salt Lake City Stars.  It was revealed that state taxpayers were forced to pay outrageous three-fold increase in overtime pay to Idaho State Police (ISP) trainees.  ISP administrators explained, without blinking an eye, that it was mainly for trainee commute times to the academy because there was no room in the academy’s dorms in Meridian, or at the National Guard barracks on Gowen Field!  (how many civilian businesses pay their employees to commute?)

Iowa: Sears Holdings shutting down their West Des Moines call center by June, 162 jobs lost!  In Clive, DCG Foods shutting down their Cash Saver grocery store as soon as the inventory is gone.  The Cash Saver used to be a Dahls, which went bankrupt.  The shutdown is blamed on lack of sales.  

Kansas:  In Olathe, popular K-Macho’s Mexican Restaurant & Cantina was suddenly shutdown by U.S. Department of Homeland Security, because restaurant owners couldn’t confirm the ‘legality’ of their employees: “K Macho restaurant in Olathe, Kansas, was recently served, via U.S. Mail, an official notice to submit all form I-9 documentation to HSI auditors for inspection.”-Shawn Neudauer, Homeland Security

Massachusetts: Insurance and investment company MassMutual laying off an additional 1-hundred employees!  Last year MassMutual eliminated 3-hundred jobs.  But here’s a paradox, administrators claim those employees losing their jobs can apply for the 230 positions that are still vacant!  What’s the point of layoffs, why can’t MassMutual just transfer the employees to open positions?  Maybe the company wouldn’t have 230 open positions if they hadn’t started mass layoffs? (they want to replace their long term employees with cheaper newbies)

Minnesota: Jos A Bank shutting down their clothing store in the Nicollet Mall by mid-May.

Montana: In Helena, after 41 years the Ben Franklin Crafts shutting down.

New Jersey:  After 42 years Marty’s Shoes shutting down their remaining six shoe stores by the end of May.  Local news reports say at one time Marty’s Shoes had 110 stores!

New York: Liddabit Sweets shutting down their there years old Chelsea Market shop by mid-April.

North Carolina: Charlotte based Too Big to Jail Bank of America asks ‘What economic recovery?’, as its own research shows there are at least 10-million U.S. citizens currently unemployed and unable to find a job!  Teachers Memorial School in Kinston shutting down by August.  Vague news reports say the county questioned the school district’s operating costs.  MillerCoors issued a shutdown WARN for its Eden brewing ops.  The first round of layoffs will begin in June, in total 349 jobs will be lost by the time the brewery shuts down!  Local news reports say at one point the brewery employed more than 5-hundred people.  MillerCoors administrators basically said the bad economy is forcing them to join the growing trend of consolidating operations.  France based aerospace company Nexans shutting down its Elm City wire factory, 113 jobs lost by the end of June!  Nexans administrators say there is not going to be an economic recovery: “This has been the result of continued sales decline combined with the steady decrease in market prices. There are, unfortunately, no realistic prospects for a return to profitability in the medium to long term.” 

Ohio: After 164 years (surviving The Great deflationary Depression and numerous recessions) children’s mental health treatment chain Beech Brook forced to eliminate 179 jobs due to Medicaid funding cuts!  In McArthur, after more than 19 years Gill’s Family Pharmacy shutting down by May.  The drug seller has been praised for community service such as buying computers for county first responders.  In Englewood, Sears Holdings shutting down the Kmart, 57 jobs lost by the end of July.  In Boardman, after 34 years Cards and Collectibles shutting down, the owners are focusing on their wedding and party supply business.

Oregon: In Portland, after three years Yarntastic Fiber Arts shutting down their brick-n-mortar store by the end of the month.  They’ll continue on the internet.

Texas:  More proof you brick-n-mortar store owners can’t directly blame the internet/high-tech for your demise; San Antonio based iHeartMedia warning of bankruptcy due to ongoing lawsuit by creditors.  If they lose the lawsuit they could be required to make an immediate payment of $15-billion USD!  Exterran shutting down their oil-gas ops in Alleyton, 241 jobs lost by the end of June: “We continue to feel the impact of further deterioration of industry fundamentals and our revenues are expected to be under pressure throughout 2016 across all of our business segments…”

Washington DC: What economic recovery?  The U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services remained in deficit by $47.1-billion USD in February.    The U.S. Department of Commerce reports that U.S. factory orders fell by 1.7% in February, more than canceling out January’s piddly increase.   U.S. factory orders have crashed for 14 of the past 19 months!

Wisconsin: Toys R Us shutting down their store on North 76th Street in Milwaukee, 30 jobs gone by the end of the month.

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

04 April 2016: 1,000% increase in generic drug prices! 1,700 people lose their final paychecks! 

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.”