Incomplete list of U.S. job loss announcements and shutdowns.
“Factories shed nearly 50,000 jobs in February and March, wiping out all of the gains recorded last year. The proportion of Americans in the active labor force remains depressed by historical standards, and more than 6 million workers say they are in part-time positions because they cannot find full-time work.”–The New York Times, 28 April 2016
California: San Ramon based oil giant Chevron announced it will eliminate an additional 1-thousand jobs before the end of the year, for a grand total of at least 8-thousand jobs killed!
Connecticut: In Norwalk, Guckenheimer Bridgewater On-Site Commissary issued a WARN, 90 jobs gone by June.
Idaho: EastIdahoNews reporting there is no recovery in eastern Idaho. Their latest article explains what happened with a lot of home construction projects: “It was just one of those things where the economy went south.”-Dave Ogden, mayor of Sugar City
Illinois: Chicago State University announced the elimination of 3-hundred jobs! It’s blamed on the fact that failed ‘elected’ state lawmakers withheld a year’s worth of funding from Illinois higher education providers by failing to come up with a budget!
Indiana: In Gary, after 70 years Esquire Men’s Clothing shutting down so the owner can retire.
Kansas: In Overland Park, Sprint revealed it eliminated an additional 113 jobs at its HQ!
Maine: In Portland, the new owner of pet medication maker Putney laid off 17 employees. Putney is now owned by British empire Dechra Pharmaceuticals, who still refuses to say what it has planned for Putney. In Farmington, Franklin Community Health Network laid off a little more than 50% of its employees (mostly full time jobs), blaming $15-million USD in losses on ObamaCare! Administrators say the losses would have been much bigger if they hadn’t received a one-time federal grant.
Minnesota: In Morris, employees of Aaron Carlson Architectural Woodwork (aka furniture) have been on strike since 11 April, and now the company says it’s shutting down for good. The employees were striking because of what they claim are low wages. Company administrators say there is no way they can increase wages and compete with the plethora of local and national furniture makers, so they’re shutting it down.
New Jersey: New York based Colgate-Palmolive issued a shutdown WARN for its Morristown ops, 3-hundred jobs gone by mid-June!
North Carolina: Germany based BASF laying off 190 highly educated employees at its Research Triangle Park ops by the end of Summer! It’s part of BASF’s plans to eliminate 350 local jobs in total!
Ohio: Utility company Direct Energy laying off 50 people as it shuts down its Miamisburg location by October 2017.
Pennsylvania: In Smithfield, CalFrac Well Services issued a layoff WARN, 63 jobs lost by the end of June. In Harrisburg, DST Health Solutions issued a WARN, 107 jobs gone by the end of June!
Tennessee: The Trust Company Bank has been seized by the FDIC. The bank of Fayette County is taking over the assets.
Texas: More proof you brick-n-mortar store owners can’t directly blame the internet/high-tech for your demise; in Austin internet based business education service Amazing Academy (amazing.com) laid off 50% of its employees without warning! The news came from the former employees. In Fort Worth, after 36 years iconic Rig Steakhouse shutdown, the property is for sale. In Arlington, after two years Super Chix sandwich shop suddenly shutdown last week, administrators said “We tried for two years, but not enough people came.”
Wisconsin: In La Crosse, oil contractor Chart eliminating 65 jobs next week, due to the oil industry BS. Local news media reported that it’s the 6th round of Chart layoffs in the past 15 months!
WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification
29 April 2016: “I don’t want to move again.”
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.”