Incomplete list of U.S. job loss announcements and shutdowns.

Alabama: What automotive industry recovery? In Piedmont, Ohio based maker of seats Commercial Vehicle Group eliminating 120 jobs, leaving only 40 employees to run operations: “It’s a terrible freakin’ thing! Some people have been here 20 years. This is the only job I’ve ever known! ….They told us in October that this was the number one plant CVG had, the most profitable plant in all the CVG organization. Now, all of a sudden business is short, this plant ain’t good enough?”-Jacob Collins, employee

Arkansas: Pine Haven Golf Course shutting down at the end of the month due to crashing revenues.

California: In Oakland, Barclays Pub forced to shutdown by the greedy landlord.  The pub operators say they were willing to go with current market lease rates but “…it just doesn’t seem like he was interested in negotiating a lease at any amount… …It’s bizzare….doesn’t make any sense.”  

Connecticut: More proof you brick-n-mortar store owners can’t directly blame the internet/high-tech competition for your demise; Norwalk based internet travel company Priceline warning of bad results for its upcoming quarterly report.   Amid massive state employee layoffs, the city of Hartford notified 40 employees they will become unemployed soon, due to lack of tax revenues.  I’ll keep saying this: Crashing tax revenues are sure sign your economy has failed.  But those highly edumagcated ‘elected’ officials will counter low tax collections by jacking up tax rates, and even creating new taxes.  Hello!  Lack of good paying non-government jobs equals lack of tax revenues, no matter how high the rates go!

Florida: In Brandenton, after 27 years Smitty’s Pub & Grill shutting down mid-month, the owner saying “I’m taking a whole year off and then we’ll see.”    Despite claims of ever increasing revenues, local news reports say the Sunshine State’s hotel industry is eliminating the most jobs since 2009, at least 585 hospitality workers (just in southern Florida) will become unemployed between now and the end of June!  The Greater Miami & The Beaches Hotel Association actually blames it on increased tourism, saying it’s forcing many hotels to renovate to accommodate increased numbers of customers, but that means hotel shutdowns during the renovations.  In Port Richey, the American Health Institute college shutdown without warning.  The owner blames the administrators for wasting money while former administrators blame the owner for wasting money!  Administrators also told local news media they have evidence the owner was lying about enrollment numbers to get more federal funding.  The college had only 50 med-tech students.

Idaho:  Near Grangeville, Blue North Forest Products confirmed that low lumber sales forced them to sell their mill to competitor Idaho Forest Group (who so far refuses to say what their plans are), 65 jobs threatened.

Iowa:  Surprise! A Sears store not on the recent official Sears Holdings shutdown list is shutting down! The Des Moines Southridge Mall Sears shutting down by August.  Sears Holdings administrators actually refused to say how many employees were becoming unemployed!

Kansas: Aircraft parts maker Triumph Group reported $1-billion USD in yearly losses and used it as an excuse to begin consolidation of its ten factories, resulting in an undisclosed number of mass layoffs.  Investors cheered the mass layoffs by driving stock prices up!

Louisiana: Surprise! A Kmart store not on the recent official Sears Holdings shutdown list is shutting down! The Bossier Kmart shutting down by August.

Massachusetts: In Boston-Weak, The Boston Globe prepping for yet another round of layoffs, due to continued crashing subscriptions (and don’t blame the internet ’cause they have an internet version).

New York:  In Clay, after 13 years Liehs & Steigerwald Downtown Butcher-Grocer-Pub shutting down by the end of the month, the owners are focusing on a bigger food project.  Gourmet grocery chain Fairway Group Holdings now chapter 11 bankrupt busted.  After three years, and a lot of location and marketing changes, NYC clothier Carson Street shutting down by the end of June.  Bankrupt NYC based clothier Aéropostale released its shutdown list: Alabama; Spanish Fort & Birmingham.
Alaska; two stores in Anchorage, one in Fairbanks.
Arizona; Scottsdale & Tucson. Arkansas; Little Rock, Hot Springs & Rogers. California; San Jose, Chula Vista, Los Angeles, Citrus Heights & Chico. Colorado; Lakewood; Bel Mark, Grand Junction & Silverthorne.  Connecticut; Waterford.  Florida; Sarasota, Beach,
Miami, Orlando, Estero & Palm Beach. Georgia; Athens, Lithonia &
Macon. Hawaii; Honolulu, Kaneohe & Aiea.  

Idaho; Chubbuck (Pine Ridge Mall, one of my many former employers [the mall, not Aéropostale]) & Twin Falls. Illinois; Springfield, Carbondale, Geneva, Bolingbrook, Forsyth & Bourbonnais. Indiana; Bloomington & Wayne. Kentucky; Paducah,
Elizabethtown & Owensboro.  Louisiana; Monroe & Slidell. Maryland; Glen Burnie & Ocean City. Massachusetts; Worcester. Michigan; Muskegon, Fort Gratiot, Jackson, Traverse City & Howell.  Minnesota; Maplewood, Blaine, Woodbury & Coon Rapids.
Mississippi; Southaven & Flowood.  Missouri; Columbia, Kansas City & Branson. Montana; Missoula. Nebraska; Lincoln & Omaha. Nevada; Las Vegas. North Carolina; Asheville. New Mexico; Santa Fe. New York; Amherst, Clay, Buffalo, Brooklyn & NYC.  Ohio; Clairsville, two stores in Cincinnati, Heath, Zanesville, Youngstown, Akron, Niles & Columbus.  Oklahoma; Norman, Oklahoma City & Shawnee.  Pennsylvania;  Monroeville, Moosic & Chambersburg. South Carolina; Columbia. South Dakota; Rapid City. Tennessee; Chattanooga, Cleveland, Memphis & Kingsport.  Texas; Plano, Houston, Hillsboro, Lake Jackson, San Antonio & San Angelo. Virginia; Christiansburg & Chesapeake. Washington; Bellingham & Bellevue. West Virginia; Bluefield. Wisconsin; Wausau & Fond Du Lac.  Wyoming; Casper.

North Carolina: Greensboro based gourmet grocery chain The Fresh Market shutting down 13 stores in Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and Texas, starting now!  In fact all Texas Fresh Markets will shutdown.   A news source estimated that 60 people work at each store, that’s 780 jobs lost within the next two months!  In Cramerton, South Fork Deli shutdown without warning, due to family health problems.  Also in Cramerton, Captain Jim’s Seafood and Steaks shutdown due to the owner’s death, and Next Generation Interiors of Bakers posted “Going out of business” sale signs.

Ohio:  Across the U.S. 197 Cargill employees to become unemployed 18 months from now!  It has something to do with the sale of Cargill’s sauces unit to California based Ventura Foods.

Texas: In Denton, after 20 years Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios shutting down.  It sounds like they’re being kicked out: “We apologize for the sudden news, and how that may affect those whom have shows booked after that date. Please trust us when we say we didn’t want or expect this to happen. We’re still trying to wrap our heads around the shock of it all ourselves.”

Vermont: Burlington School District eliminating 24 jobs, in line with the budget approved by cash strapped voters.

Wisconsin: Childfirst shutting down two daycare ops, one in La Crosse and one in Onalaska. Two other Childfirst locations are being taken over by Red Ballon.

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification. I found a 2010 AFL-CIO analysis (titled The Public Availability of WARN Notices: Lack of Accessibility and Disclosure…) which proves what I’ve been suspecting in my search of state WARN notices; most states are not complying with federal WARN regulations and are not publicizing or tracking mass layoffs.

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.”