Incomplete list of job loss announcements and shutdowns.

Delaware:  In Newark, God powerless to stop the shutdown of ‘his’ British empire based 23 years old Salvation Army Thrift Store (in the Park N Shop plaza).   Obviously money is the true god as the greedy landlord demanded more in rent!

Florida: The saga of the sudden mass Ovation Brands restaurant shutdowns continues. This time reports that several Ryan’s Buffets shutdown without warning, or paychecks for employees, in Horry County. A local news report said as many as 3-hundred restaurants across the U.S. are affected by the sudden bankruptcy!    In Pensacola, after 28 years Dollarhide’s Music Center shutting down, the owners want to retire: “I turned 70, it hit me like a brick!”-Bill Dollarhide, co-owner

Idaho: East of Boise, after 73 years iconic Ben’s Crow Inn shutting down by September.  The owner admitted in the early years all he served was pizza and beer. Now it’s famous for seafood and steak.  The owner also admitted that the ever expanding metro of Boise has jacked up local property values so much that he couldn’t refuse an offer from a greedy property developer.

Illinois: In Naperville, after 3-million customers the 21 years old Zero Gravity Food-Dancing club shutting down mid-month.  Rumors say it’ll be replaced with a bigger operation.

Iowa: The saga of the sudden mass Ovation Brands restaurant shutdowns continues.  This time a Ryan’s in Clive, and an Old Country Buffet in Des Moines shutdown without warning or final paychecks.

Maryland: Allen Harim Foods shutting down their 71 years old Cordova operations, 3-hundred jobs lost as the company consolidates ops to save money!

Massachusetts:  More proof you brick-n-mortar store owners can’t directly blame the internet/high tech for your demise; Boston Weak based sports app Fancred now for sale, all employees now unemployed!  It’s blamed on a failed crowd sourcing attempt.  After 47 years Johnny D’s Restaurant Music Club shutting down this weekend.  In Lowell, God powerless to stop the shutdown of ‘his’  108 years old (surviving The Great Depression and numerous recessions) Franco American School.  It’s blamed on increasing costs and declining student enrollment.

Michigan: What automotive industry recovery? Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) furloughed more than 3-thousand people at its Sterling Heights factory back in February! They were supposed to be back to work this month, but FCA has extended the furlough ’till April! FCA is ending production of its slow selling Chrysler 200.

Minnesota: God powerless to stop ‘his’ 70 years old mega-church North Heights Lutheran from shutdown. Local news reports say it’s due to a “civil war” inside the church!  Traverse City Area Public Schools shutting down the Interlochen Community School and the International School at Bertha Vos, blaming a $1.2-million USD shortfall.  Administrators will also not replace retiring employees (attrition) and reduce school bus service.

Nebraska: Schweser’s shutting down their 87 years old store (surviving The Great Depression and numerous recessions) in Columbus, by this weekend.  Last year the Fremont based clothing retailer announced it would begin shutting down stores due to “…a dropoff in sales…over the past 3-4 years…We can come up with many excuses from the rise of internet shopping, reduced trips to physical stores, or changing demographics, but whatever the reason, we have not been able to overcome them quickly enough in some towns. Our expenses continue to rise….”

Pennsylvania: Joy Global Underground Mining conducted mass layoffs in Venango County, 382 jobs gone!  In Fredericksburg, after 28 years ‘natural’ food store The Pantry Self shutting down due to the death of the owner.  The saga of the sudden mass Ovation Brands restaurant shutdowns continues. This time the Old Country Buffet in Summit Township suddenly shutdown, claiming it was for “asset inventory” and asking employees to return on Wednesday for an update.  Non-profit Historic Philadelphia Center shutting down, the bad economy is forcing the non-profit operator to focus on more popular Historic Philadelphia sites.

South Carolina:  The saga of the sudden mass Ovation Brands restaurant shutdowns continues. This time six Ryan’s restaurants (in Columbia, Conway, Greer, Orangeburg, Spartanburg and Surfside Beach) suddenly shutdown, no warning, no paychecks for hundreds of employees! Local news reports say this is the third bankruptcy for Ovation Brands/Buffet LLC since 2008!  Nation’s Restaurant News reports that 92 restaurants across the country were shutdown over the weekend without warning! That’s on top of 74 restaurants shutdown last month, for a total of 166 in the past five weeks!  Not only did they shutdown the restaurants without warning, but they quickly removed cooking equipment and hauled it away (this must be what they mean by “conducting asset inventory”)!  Ovation Brands/Buffet LLC was taken over last year by Texas based FMP (Food Management Partners).   In the bankruptcy filing FMP claims their take over of Ovation Brands was a big money losing mistake as sales immediately crashed by 22%!  Nation’s Restaurant News discovered that FMP is a Mitt Romney-Bain Capital style vulture capitalist group that is responsible for the sudden shutdown of California based Catalina Restaurant Group’s Coco’s Bakery and Carrows restaurants last year!  “FMP has also acquired Don Pablo’s, Furr’s Fresh Buffet and Zio’s Italian Kitchen.”

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.”