Incomplete list of job loss announcements and shutdowns.

Arizona: Scandalous University of Phoenix eliminated more jobs, this time 470 people were laid off without warning, due to crashing student enrollment!  The for-profit university is for sale.

Arkansas: Illinois based Superior Graphite shutting down their Russellville factory starting now.  70 jobs will be lost due to low commodity prices and competition from imported “electrode and specialty graphite products”.

California: In Half Moon Bay, after 37 years the owner of Pescadero II is selling it off so she can retire.

Colorado: Albertsons-Safeway shutting down the Pueblo Safeway grocery store on 29th Street, 59 jobs lost (the employees were told about it on Monday).

Illinois: In East Dundee, after 145 years (surviving The Great deflationary Depression and numerous recessions) Haeger Potteries shutting down.  The family owners blamed government regulations, competition and forced wage increases during a bad economy: “The reality is that we are finding it more and more difficult to compete in a market with significant wage pressure, increased regulations and generally rising costs. We hoped things were going to be turning around, but they have not.”-Haeger Estes

Iowa: In Mason City, after 60 years bridal shop Formalities shutting down.  The owner, who also owns other businesses including a pet food business, says the economy is so bad for the wedding business that she’s going to use the bridal store for her dog food business: “I want to keep it to retail the dog food out of here. If I get the right price, I might sell it.”-Angie Braun

Massachusetts: Bay Valley Foods shutting down their Ayer food factory, 1-hundred jobs lost by the end of 2017!  Like the rest of unAmerican corporate America, Bay Valley Foods is joining the growing trend of consolidation.

Michigan: In past months I’ve reported how Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) furloughed more than a thousand Sterling Heights employees, now FCA has turned those furloughs into indefinite layoffs for at least 1-thousand 3-hundred people, blaming it on a 63% crash in Chrysler 200 sales! An additional 120 people are losing their jobs at the nearby Sterling Stamping factory!  The auto worker’s union revealed the truth about U.S. car sales saying “FCA is not the only company experiencing a slow market for small cars.”

Missouri: Twin Rivers shutting down their Neosho chicken processing factory by June, 3-hundred jobs lost!  The WARN gave no reason.  Local news speculate that operations are being consolidated, and also stated that employee turnover was always high due to low wages.

New York: Great example of what I call Ripple Effect Layoffs (REL); in Watertown, AirBrake laid off an additional 19 people, blaming the slow down in railroad operations (15% of rail cars are not in use), which in turn is blamed on the oil-coal (mining) industry (coal transportation down 10% in past 12 months).  

In Canton, Blackbird Cafe shutting down on Friday, instead of the promised renovations, 11 jobs lost.  The upstairs music venue Parkview is also shutting down.   The owner of both establishments blames the decision to shutdown (instead of renovating) on a sudden 50% crash in sales since last year!  The owner suspects that two new restaurants are to blame (and this is a sign the local market can’t support that many eateries).

North Carolina: In Elkin, after 18 years the owner of Song’s Jewelry shutting it down in June so she can ‘retire’ to pursue other interests.

Ohio: Sears Holdings shutting down their Fort Stueben Mall Sears store and Auto Center, 53 jobs lost in June.  They’re also shutting down their Sandusky Mall Sears store and Auto Center, 44 jobs lost in June.  Despite better than expected earnings, Columbus based Limited Brands (aka L brands) is going ahead with its restructuring of Victoria’s Secret, Pink and Victoria’s Secret Beauty, resulting in 2-hundred administrative jobs being culled in Ohio and New York!

Oklahoma: In Broken Arrow, after 37 years the Army & Family Surplus store being forced to shutdown by an A-Hole landlord who gave them a 30 days eviction notice. The A-Hole local news media downplayed that important fact and instead reported that the owners were retiring!   John Daniel Footwear joins the growing list of retailers exiting the Utica Square plaza.  Local news reports say it’s the third Utica Square store in the past five months to shutdown, long time loyal shoppers are upset: “Over the last 10 or 15 years most of the smaller family owned stores are no longer here. Not to say anything about the other stores, but you kind of miss that family, that private service, the local service that you get.”-Marilyn Mabrey Sullivant, Utica Square shopper for past 50 years

Pennsylvania: Sears Holdings shutting down their Viewmont Mall Sears store and Auto Center, 86 jobs lost in July. Pittsburgh based US Steel announced yet more layoffs, this time 750 salaried employees are being kicked to the curb.  Local news reports say in the past five years US Steel has eliminated 8-thousand 3-hundred jobs in North America and Europe, blaming competition, the oil industry and currency wars. Overall, steel companies in the United States have eliminated 12-thousand jobs!  US Steel reported a loss of $1.5-billion USD in 2015.

Texas: CleanFUEL USA now chapter 11 bankrupt busted, blaming “the changing dynamics in the alternative fuel industry.” 

Washington DC:  U.S. Department of Education has revealed that their economic outlook for the future of the United States is so bad that 43% of us fools who got into debt to get a higher education will never be able to pay-off that debt to the government!  As of January 2016, 3.6-million former higher education students had defaulted (meaning they stopped making payments, you can’t declare bankruptcy against student debt) on $56-billion USD worth of student loans!

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

05 April 2016: “…no realistic prospects for a return to profitability…” 10-million+ unemployed!

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.”