Incomplete list of job loss announcements and shutdowns.

Alabama: Sears Holdings shutting down the Florence Kmart in March, more than 1-hundred jobs lost!  A local news report said the employees knew nothing about it and were shocked to hear it from the news!

Arkansas: Good Food by Ferneau shutting down because the owner-chef is taking a job working for somebody else. 

California:  In San Francisco, the Gangway bar shutdown due to ignoramus owner failing to pay his employees at least minimum wage.  In California the so called Tip Credit does not apply, food service workers must be paid minimum wage even though they’re paid tips by customers.  According to the lawsuit the owner, who’s lived in California for decades, thought the Tip Credit rule was valid in California (I knew about that rule back in the 1980s, how can people who’ve lived in California longer than me be so stupid regarding The Golden State’s wage laws?).  In Anaheim Hills, after at least 30 years popular Foxfire An American Chophouse shutting down at the start of February, to make room for a shopping plaza.  In Los Altos, Main Street Cafe shutting down by the end of the month, apparently to eventually be replaced with yet another restaurant “concept”.  

Connecticut: In Greenwich, after a little more than 12 years Graham’s Toys shutdown due to the greedy landlord: “The rents are not sustainable.  The amount of business we’ve done is respectable, but it’s just not sustainable for this market.”-Shelly Steinberg, owner

Idaho:   Another Gem State Kmart shutting down, this time the Boise Kmart on Fairview shutting down by mid-March, 56 jobs lost.  A sure sign that healthcare costs are going up, the state Department of Health and Welfare is requesting a $26.3-million USD budget increase!  Administrators are now saying the previous 3.9% increase is not enough to fund the new mandate (Primary Care Access Program) to cover the 78-thousand Idahoans who fall into the Right to Work (you over) ObamaCare gap!

Illinois:  In Orland Park, Palos Community Hospital shutting down their Palos Health & Fitness center in May.  In a round-a-bout way administrators said ObamaCare was forcing them to “prioritize” their services.

Kansas: In Wichita, after 105 years (surviving The Great Depression and numerous recessions) Head’s Shoes shutdown. Local news said the owners aren’t commenting as to why.

Maryland: Rockville based charity thrift store/’job training center’ Goodwill shutdown 26 stores and donation centers in Toronto, Canada, apparently with no warning!  The Ontario Great Lakes Goodwill regional office claims the shutdowns are part of their plan to  remain “financially very strong and on a path of growth and prosperity.”  In other words they’re preparing for the economy to get worse!

Michigan:  New York based clothier Aeropostale shutting down their Mall of Monroe store by the end of the month.  Aeropostale has shutdown hundreds of stores since 2014 and recently said they will eliminate 1-hundred corporate level jobs.

Missouri:  In Saint Louis, after almost 20 years Harry’s Bar & Restaurant shutting down by the end of the month.  It’s starting to sound like city re-development projects are killing off local businesses: “It’s the economy, the highway closing, Ballpark Village. Downtown is just a dead area right now….nobody is talking about it. Iconic places are going out of business, and nobody cares.  Ballpark Village was the nail in the coffin. It shut down Washington Avenue and took 70% of our business.”-Tim Pieri, co-owner

New York: In Saugerties the McDonald’s junk food joint on 8 Manor Lane shutting down by the end of the month, the owner saying “It’s a business decisions…”, revealing that even when the restaurant was “making money” it was considered “under-performing”!

Ohio: With no warning Columbus based chain restaurant Max & Erma’s shutdown 13 operations in Ohio, Michigan and Indiana, hundreds now jobless!  Corporate administrators said they have to “streamline” operations due to the economy.  Overwhelmingly employees say they’re shocked that their employer could shutdown overnight, (I’ve been there experienced that several times, so welcome to reality. Now try living with so many of your peers not believing that your former employer could lay you off with no warning, your employed peers always think you did something wrong! It’s amazing what the working class takes for granted, oh the power of false belief.).

Pennsylvania:  After more than three years Marty’s Market shutdown without warning, the owners saying only “We have had to make the extremely difficult decision to close…” 

Rhode Island:  More trouble for video games.  A state investigation into former Major League Baseball player Curt Schilling’s video game company 38 Studios could result in a criminal case.  38 Studios went mysteriously bankrupt and shutdown a few months after releasing it’s only video game (the game was considered a success and sold well).  The problem is that 38 Studios was partially funded with millions in state taxpayer loans, which were never paid back.

Virginia: France based nuclear power plant operator Areva laid off 50 people in Lynchburg, and another 40 at nuclear operations around the U.S.   Local news reports say since 2014 Areva has eliminated 3-hundred jobs in Luynchburg.

West Virginia: After announcing that it had suffered a 13% drop in revenue in 2015, Florida based railroad company CSX announced it will shutdown its Huntington operations, 121 jobs affected!  The work will be spread out among other CSX depots.

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

17 January 2016: “we have nothing left…financially, emotionally or physically.”

Former employees who receive severance are not counted as unemployed

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.”