Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:
More proof the internet is not killing brick-n-mortar stores: Online gaming company Nerd Kingdom laid off an undisclosed number of employees (some reports called it “massive”) and jacked up the cost of playing their video games.
California: Allergan warned that Obama Care is forcing them to kill off 545 specialized healthcare employees in November, and shutdown one of their healthcare operations in Goleta! In Palm Springs, Obama Care forcing Crothall Healthcare to shutdown in November, 91 jobs lost. Iconic Technicolor is warning employees of layoffs. Reports say the layoffs will be less than 50, when they happen. In Bakersfield, after 59 years family run Skateland roller rink shutdown. The owners said their adult children don’t believe the economy is good enough to take over the family business. What automotive industry recovery? Maker of car batteries Exide Technologies warned it will kill off 61 jobs at their Los Angeles ops in October. The battery maker and recycler is also under federal investigation for emissions violations. In Fullerton, MBM Foodservice warned it will shutdown in December, 76 jobs lost. In Twentynine Palms, taxsucking Alaska based Tatitlek warned it layoff 125 people in November! In Rancho Cucamonga, Super Glue/Pacer Technology warned they will layoff 65 people in November.
Connecticut: Electronics retailer Best Buy revealed they’re shutting down their Westfield Meriden Mall store at the beginning of November, 60 jobs lost.
Florida: Obama Care forces University of Florida Health to sell off its Medicaid focused First Coast Advantage healthcare operations. At least 63 healthcare jobs lost in November.
Georgia: Artificial sweetener maker NutraSweet finally killed off their Augusta factory, 200 jobs lost: “Low cost imports now dominate the aspartame market, making it impossible for us to sustain a profitable business while maintaining our unmatched standard of quality.”-William DeFer, ceo
Illinois: In Palos Hills, after 77 years family owned Riley’s Trick Shop joke store shutdown. The heirs decided that the economy was so bad it wasn’t worth it to take over from their parents.
Iowa: In Williamsburg, agricultural machinery manufacturer Kinze laid off 21 employees. Company administrators blame declining sales to the farming industry. In Ames, Sears Holdings announced they will shutdown the Kmart in December, at least 44 jobs lost.
Kansas: Payless ShoeSource killed more jobs at their Topeka HQ, this time company administrators refused to give a number. In 2013 Payless eliminated more than 100 jobs. Payless has been in trouble ever since it took over Stride Rite in 2007. Payless has been operating under the name of Collective Brands since then, but in 2012 Collective Brands was taken over by vulture capitalists Blum Capital Partners and Golden Gate Capital, who have been carving Collective Brands up and selling it off piece by piece. And the federal government causing the Kansas Air National Guard to kill off 210 part time and full time jobs! The 127th Command and Control Squadron and the 184th Munitions Squadron were eliminated, and the 177th Information Aggressor Squadron will suffer cuts.
Massachusetts: California based CISCO revealed how many people will become unemployed at their Boxborough operation; at least 182! After just eight months The Rug Department store shutdown one of its two stores. The bankrupt owners are selling it off.
Michigan: More proof there is no automotive industry recovery; Detroit based auto parts supplier Bridgewater Interiors announced it is killing off 249 jobs in December! Company administrators blame it on the ending of contracts with the big new car makers. What housing market recovery? Building products maker Masco (not to be confused with the medical association of the same name) announced it will kill off 160 HQ jobs! In 2000 Masco had 600 HQ employees, but at the time of this latest job killing announcement they were down to 400 employees. In Saginaw, after nearly 40 years the Ponderosa Steakhouse shutdown without notice, or reason given.
Minnesota: In Apple Valley, the administrators of the Minnesota Zoo admitted they’re losing their financial ass, due to crashing visitation, and as such will layoff an undisclosed number of employees. The zoo is already under a hiring freeze.
Mississippi: Iconic musical instrument and amplifier maker Peavy Electronics warned it must “downsize” it’s Meridian factory, about 100 jobs lost!
New Jersey: In Randolph, Sears Holdings announced they will shutdown the Kmart in December, 90 jobs lost.
New York: In Buffalo, Fenner Precision warned they will shutdown their polyurethane factory in December, 60 jobs lost. In Amherst, Mitt Romney wunderkind Staples warned it will shutdown by February 2015. In NYC, GSM Retail store warned it will shutdown after Xmas, 79 jobs lost. Maritime restaurant and hotel manager warned it will shutdown in January 2015, at least 153 jobs lost! They lost their contract to run a hotel.
Ohio: What housing market recovery? Assurant, which is mainly a health insurance company, warned it is killing off 75 Specialty Property jobs in Springfield. The Assurant Special Property unit deals with mortgages, and apparently the job losses are the result of Assurant losing a client. In Chillicothe, Horizon Telecom announced the layoff of 21 employees. Company administrators say the bad economy is forcing them to “restructure”. Sears Holdings announced they will shutdown Kmarts in Fairborn and Springfield, 131 jobs lost!
Oklahoma: Texas based oil exploration company HighMount Exploration and Production warned it will shutdown its Oklahoma City office in November, 97 jobs lost (on top of the 11 laid off during the summer).
South Carolina: In Greenwood, Texas based Mundy Maintenance announced it will layoff 136 people in October! Company administrators say they lost a major contract.
Tennessee: God can’t stop pro-insurance industry Obama Care from forcing Baptist Memorial Health Care from killing 112 healthcare related jobs! The Memphis based hospital system runs 14 hospitals in several states. Administrators reported that as of June 2014 Obama Care caused them to lose $124-million USD!
West Virginia: Alpha Natural Resources confirmed it shutdown two coal mines; Independence Coal’s Twilight (Progress) mine and Pioneer Fuels’ Ewing Fork (Pax) mine, 193 jobs lost! According to WARN filings as many as 11-hundred people at 11 mines are under threat of becoming unemployed!
Wisconsin: In Green Bay, The Urban Frog restaurant warned it might shutdown, due to the death of the owner.
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.