Incomplete list of job loss announcements and shutdowns.
A warning for people who shop for food in grocery stores: U.S. employee unions are warning that the 2015 Giant Food (based in Netherlands) and Food Lion (based in Belgium) merger will result in the sell-off or shutdown of at least eight Giant and Martin’s grocery stores in Maryland and Virginia! The sell-off is the result of U.S. anti-trust laws (the same reason Albertsons-Safeway used to trick now bankrupt-dead Haggen into buying 130 failing stores).
The National Association of Realtors said sales of existing homes dropped 7.1% in February.
Idaho: In Garden City, after 40 years The Gem State’s largest horse racing op Les Bois Park suddenly shutdown. It’s the latest victim of a recent decision by A-hole Christian regulators declaring ‘instant horse racing’ machines to be “unconstitutional”! Boise State University conducted an economic study which concluded that Les Bois Park alone generated $50-million USD for Ada County, and provided 536 jobs, all lost now! The Idaho Horse Council says there will be a domino effect across Idaho’s equine economy: “It’s the feed, the hotels, the traveling, eating… it’s just a trickledown effect. Horses are going to be shipped out of state and that’s income Idaho doesn’t get. That’s devastating for our horse economy.”-Myron Amsden
Indiana: In Mishawaka, Cinemark Six shutting down their dollar movie theater this Thursday. Local news reports say it’s been for sale for some time, apparently nobody is interested in buying it.
Michigan: Jackson based CMS Energy (aka Consumers Energy) reported they are on track to shutdown seven coal fired electricity power plants, by the end of Spring. Administrators claim their natural gas fired plant can replace the seven coal fired plants, but they didn’t say what’s going to happen to all those employees.
New Jersey: In Swedesboro, Netherlands based potato starch supplier Royal Ingredients issued a WARN, 80 jobs lost by mid-May.
New York: In Cohoes, after 26 years Tables Chairs and More shutting down so the owner can retire, blaming the bad economy: “…the overall business conditions aren’t the best, and I don’t think that there has ever been a real full recovery from the recession in 2008, and it’s become more of a struggle.”-Fred Turcotte
North Carolina: In Durham, after five years G2B Brewery & Restaurant shutting down. Despite being critically acclaimed they never generated enough sales to pay their expenses. In Chapel Hill, after six years upscale restaurant One shutting down after the third set of lead chefs (since opening) decided to leave.
Oklahoma: In Tulsa, after 36 years God powerless to stop ‘christian’ education supply store The Apple Tree from shutting down by the end of May, blaming the lack of economic recovery (proving once again the real ‘god’ is money): “…. the sustainability of a small business in an economy in distress and an industry….has become increasingly difficult to remain competitive…”
Pennsylvania: ‘Life sciences’ drugs maker Morphotek laid off 27 people. What construction industry recovery? Plumbing parts maker Zurn issued a shutdown WARN for their Erie HQ, no layoff numbers made public. Zurn is moving their HQ to Wisconsin between May and August. Zurn administrators claim that Wisconsin is the land of “global water industry leaders”, so that’s where the business is.
West Virginia: In Huntington, after 70 years Glaser Furniture shutting down by April. The owners say their adult children are not interested in carrying on the family business.
Wyoming: After 14 years community owned clothing co-op Powell Mercantile shutting down, blaming locals for buying on the internet or traveling all the way to Billings to do their shopping. Apparently the co-op is shifting to stores that offer products not easily found elsewhere. 
Casper County wants $5-million USD in state taxpayer funding to shutdown their trash dump! And they say that’ll cover only half the costs to shutdown Horsethief Canyon Landfill! Of course the state ordered the shutdown, due to leaking toxic materials. This is a fine example of how taxpayers are royally screwed over by ‘their’ system.
WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification
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.”