The biggest insurance company in the U.S., MetLife, has laid off 2500 people since 2012!  The insurance and investment company said the United States is no longer the place to do business and will focus on other countries for growth opportunities!!!

In California, Westwood’s Jerry’s Famous Deli closed, 63 employees laid off.  The restaurant owner blamed it on the property owner jacking up the rent.  A Jerry’s Famous Deli also closed in West Hollywood.  In Santa Monica, Rubin Postaer Associates laid off 200 people!  Rubin Postaer Associates is Los Angeles County’s second largest advertising agency. Honda was their biggest client, and Honda just cut back big on their advertising budget.  In Simi Valley, Arizona based Nexicore laid off 108 employees!  The computer company blames it on crashing sales.

Arizona based Pro’s Ranch Markets bankrupt.  The grocery chain focused on Hispanic customers in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. The company blames a decline in sales on several factors, including Arizona’s anti-immigrant laws.

In White Plains, New York, British Empire based Pearsons Education laid off 55 employees. The education publisher has been laying off employees non-stop due to constant “restructuring”, even after New Jersey gov’na Chris Christie gave the Red Coat company an $80 million USD tax break!!!  And the Obama/Romney Affordable Health Care Act is killing another health care provider!  Sound Shore Health System now bankrupt: “As is true with many community hospitals serving a working-class constituency, the Medical Centers have been beset by the financial pressures caused by cuts in Medicare and Medicaid funding.”-Court filed bankruptcy statement

Speaking of New Jersey, the city of Linden wants to layoff 31 cops. City officials blame it on the police union rejecting the city’s concession offer. City officials say they need to save $1.2 million. Gee why don’t they ask gov’na Christie for the money?  He gave foreigner Pearson Education $80 million!

In Washington, the Pierce County Jail laid off 20 guards.  The county is short $4.2 million, and 160 inmates are about to go free due to their sentences being up.  There are no new inmates expected because two of the county’s customers, the cities of Lakewood and Tacoma, are sending their inmates to a cheaper facility.

In Colorado, the Upper Pine Fire Protection District cut four jobs: “If we didn’t do this, we wouldn’t have any reserves left after next year. Too many factors led to this. By this time last year, we’d had income coming into the district from fighting wildland fires on federal lands. This year, that didn’t happen.”-Bruce Evans, District Chief

The College of Central Florida got rid of 28 jobs.  College officials blame a $2.4 million shortfall on declining student enrollment.  In Gainesville a Stein Mart is closing, rumors say it’s being replaced with a Hobby Lobby.

In Illinois, the Chicago Sun Times laid off all its photogs, all 28 of them!  Reporters are now required to do their own pics and video (just like in the smaller news markets).  And the Adler Planetarium laid off 15 people. Officials say they are trying to stay ahead of the bad economy by becoming more efficient. Plass Appliance shutting down after 75 years of sales. It’s blamed on the bad economy. At one time there were ten Plass Appliance stores.

The Muncie Public Library announced that it has to cut $400000 from its budget, and that means layoffs in Indiana.

What automotive industry recovery?  Germany based Volkswagen confirmed they will layoff 500 people in their Tennessee Passat factory!!!  They blame it on crashing sales of Passats.

What oil industry boom?  In Texas, Cameron International laid off 88 employees.  The global provider of production and processing equipment for the oil and gas industry is shutting down their factory in Magnolia.

And despite North Dakota‘s oil boom, Finland based cell phone & GPS maker Nokia laid off 50-60 employees in their Fargo factory.  Company official say these latest layoffs are in addition to the 10000 planned layoffs announced at the end of last year!  Nokia officials say they want to streamline their North Dakota operations.

In Pennsylvania, The Common Plea and The Plea Bar closed down after 42 years of business. The owners are selling the restaurant operation and focusing on catering.  The Pocono Mountain School District closed two elementary schools.  School officials blame it on declining enrolment, and the need to save $2 million!  PBS Coals announced a third round of layoffs.  This time the mining company laid off 134 people! In the 2nd round of layoffs 138 people got axed!  Company officials said the economy is that bad, even in China: “…..the 134 layoffs are a result of economic decline. The domestic market is low, and we sell to international markets, the big players are China and India, but there isn’t a lot of economic growth there either!”-Lori J. Mason, PBS Coals

Georgia based payment processor First Data Corp. continues to lay people off as part of its never ending “restructuring”.  This time 40 people in Nebraska got canned.  It was part of the latest round of layoffs country wide, which saw a total of 70 jobs cut. In April they laid off 60 people in Nebraska, and between 2007 and 2010, 800 Cornhuskers got the axe!

In Wisconsin, 72 people lost their jobs because iconic Ball container company closed down operations in Milwaukee.  And 202 people out-o-work at the Kewaunee Power Station!  The operator of the nuclear power plant, Dominion Resources, said this is just the first round of more layoffs to come. The nuke plant is being shut down, in toto 632 employees will be affected!

In Michigan, the Pump House Grille was seized by the Berrien County Treasurer’s Office, for failure to pay property taxes.  And Jill’s General Store closed down.  The family owners said declining sales didn’t justify the amount of time they were putting into the business.

In Alabama, 200 employees at the Russell Athletic/Fruit of the Loom Mill Decorations Plant were told bye-bye!  The clothing company is closing the factory.  It’s blamed on the bad economy.  The Home Fashion Paint and Floor Covering Company closed after 44 years of business. The owner retired to do Baptist missionary work.

Another irony, the Mississippi Department of Employment Security shut down 13 WIN Job Centers!  It’s blamed on federal funding cuts.

In Wheaton, Maryland, the Showcase Aquarium tropical fish store closed after 45 years.  The store owner said his lease expired and a multitude of factors convinced him that it wasn’t a good idea to renew it, mainly that a major redevelopment plan by Montgomery County is going to destroy any parking for customers.

After 30 years of operations the Burr Cooperative Nursery School shut down in Massachusetts.

Idaho based paper company, Boise Inc., closed it Umatilla, Oregon, chipping operations.

In Virginia, Apple computer retailer, CityMac, closed after less than one year in business!  The owner says sales suck, and profit margins for computer retailers is too small to justify trying to stay open.  The store property has been turned over to the city of Bristol.