Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:
Arizona: The University of Arizona issued another warning about mass layoffs saying the new state budget is forcing them to cut $25-million USD in operating costs! (this is actually less than the $43-million they were warning about earlier this year)
Arkansas: Employee recruiting firm Cameron Smith & Associates revealed they are prepping for “a surge of phone calls, emails and resumes” as Walmart initiates mass layoffs. It’s expected that Walmart will layoff 1-thousand people just from its Bentonville HQ!
California: Torrance based grocery store chain Fresh & Easy announced it will shutdown 14 stores! Administrators said “…progress was not enough to bring their performance in line with the rest of the business.” This is on top of the 55 Fresh & Easy stores closed across several states earlier this year. In Newark, Raley’s grocery store shutting down on Saturday, blaming “…decreasing number of customers and decreasing sales.” In San Jose, the owners of Palo’s said they’re being forced to close both their restaurants because “…our landlord has chosen not to extend our lease.” Eliteland based (Beverly Hills) Relativity Media now chapter 11 bankrupt busted. Administrators say 75 people have been let go, but some news reports say as many as 1-hundred people have been laid off! More proof high-tech is not recession proof; San Francisco based video game maker Kixeye laid off an undisclosed number of employees.
Georgia: Darley Stables at the Aiken Training Track is being shutdown by its oil rich owner from Dubai, who is also the vice president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates. Local news reports failed to explain why the elitist oil man is shutting it down by September.
Idaho: In Ketchum, after less than five years Main Street Market grocery store shutting down in August. The operators blame escalating rent: “The original five-year lease term is ending, and it did not make sense to extend the lease for the required seven-year commitment.”
Illinois: After 40 years Jo-Ann Fabrics shutting down their DeKalb store in November.
Iowa: Tax collector IRS announced they are shutting down their Waterloo Taxpayer Assistance Center on Tower Park Drive, due to more taxpayers using the internet to get help paying taxes. No word on how many jobs will be lost.
Kansas: After less than one year the new owners of two years old YOLO Grill shutting it down because “…YOLO Grill hasn’t had the volume to support itself…”
Maine: A 45 years old Arby’s roast beef sandwich shop shutting down in Bangor, 20 jobs lost. There are now only five Arby’s in Maine.
Michigan: The Wayne Community Center shutting down on Sunday, due to the lack of a new lease with any contracted operator.
Minnesota: Cliffs Natural Resources announced it is shutting down its United Taconite mine, and its pellet operations, 480 jobs lost! It’s blamed on oversupply and competition. However, it should be noted that Ohio based Cliffs Natural Resources has just reported a profit for its 2nd quarter. Administrators admit those profits all came from mass layoffs as their sales were down 33%!
New York: What construction industry recovery? One of the oldest architecture companies in the U.S., WASA Studio, now bankrupt busted. After 12 years, art gallery Wallspace shutting down in August. In Lockport, Donna Eick’s Restaurant shutting down, the family will focus on catering only. In Horseheads, appliance store Werninck’s shutting down after 42 years: “Home Depot has killed us….Lowe’s has beat us….It is not a secret that independent family businesses are dying.”-Lionel R. “Dick” Werninck, owner
North Carolina: In Research Triangle Park (RTP), news reports say the Massachusetts based drugs maker Parexel is about to layoff the 2-hundred former GlaxoSmithKline employees it hired-on earlier this year! Apparently this is part of their bigger plan to eliminate 850 jobs! Philips Lighting shutting down their Philips-Optimum factory in Henderson, 50 jobs lost. URS shutting down their Elizabeth City factory, 96 jobs lost (possibly due to URS being taken over by AECOM). California based Avery Dennison shutting down their Lenoir/Greensboro factories by the end of August, 225 jobs lost! What automotive industry recovery? Fan belt maker DAYCO shutting down their Fayetteville and Red Springs ops, 135 jobs lost by October!
Pennsylvania: California based “specialty pharmaceutical” (oxycodone-OxyContin) company Impax Labs shutdown their Pittsburgh ops, 86 jobs lost. Sears Holdings issued a shutdown WARN for the Brookhaven Kmart, 89 jobs lost by September. US Airways issued a shutdown WARN for their Corapolis ops, at least 6-hundred jobs lost by the end of August! News reports also say US Airways shutting down its Moon dispatch center, about 50 jobs lost. It’s due to American Airlines taking over US Airways. In York, after nine years Amish owned Gish’s Furniture and Amish Heirlooms shutting down as soon as they can get rid of $2-million worth of inventory, no reason for the shutdown given. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette trying to bribe 120 employees to voluntarily quit (voluntary buyouts)! Administrators blame “…weak revenue and a difficult advertising climate have created economic conditions dire enough to require thinning the newsroom.”
South Carolina: What automotive industry recovery? Ohio based Parker Hannifin ’s Engineered Materials Group continues its crash, this time they will shutdown their Beaufort County Racor Division vehicle filter factory, 75 jobs lost by December. They are consolidating their filter production to fewer factories.
Tennessee: Electronic company TS3 Technology suddenly shutting down this Friday, 81 jobs lost. Teddy Bear Portraits by Nationwide Studios laying off 69 people. Paper and packaging company WestRock ending their Tullahoma operations, 50 jobs lost.
Texas: Fort Worth based American Airlines announced it is ending all US Airways operations, thousands of jobs lost! Fort Worth based oil service company Range Resources reported that despite eliminating 11% of its jobs they still lost $118.6-million during its 2nd quarter 2015!
Virginia: Colorado based canning supply company Ball announced it will shutdown its Bristol factory by the first half of 2016, about 230 jobs lost! Ball Corporation joins dozens of other companies consolidating their operations in preparation for more economic crashing & burning.
Washington DC: Yet another hardware store going down; Brookland True Value Hardware shutting down, the owner blames a doubling of rent in the past three years.
Wisconsin: After nine years Tulip Restaurant shutting down on Friday.
28 July 2015: “It’s not a good thing, Lord o’mercy!”
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.”