Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:
Alabama: In Homewood, Mitt Romney’s Bain Capital controlled Babies “R” Us shutting down in September. The property was sold off.
Arkansas: In Fort Smith, home appliance maker Whirlpool killing 850 jobs by the end of October! Company officials blame crashing sales. The layoffs are directly affecting a local supplier to Whirlpool; Southern Steel & Wire will kill 117 jobs by the end of December! Rheem Manufacturing killing 100 jobs by October!
California: In San Jose, Imperium Security Specialists warned they will layoff 45 people in October. In San Francisco, after 22 years Woodward’s Garden restaurant shutdown. For an unknown reason the lease will not be renewed. Superior Court of Shasta County killing 14 jobs in September. That’s on top of 12 jobs already killed and 18 open jobs that are not being filled. Court officials admit there is no recovery: “In the past two fiscal years, where we tried to set aside money to get through the recession, the ability to do that was eliminated as of June 30, 2014.”-Melissa Fowler-Bradley, Court Executive Officer
Connecticut: In Middletown, after 13 years clothing store Echo Trading shutting down in September.
Illinois: In Chicago one year after shutting down 50 schools, Chicago Public Schools has now put them up for auction! The district is still shutting down schools due to what I call massive DSS (Disappearing Student Syndrome). It turns out that it still costs taxpayers millions of dollars to maintain school buildings that are not in use. In Hinsdale, after nine years Cosi restaurant shutdown by the property owner, with little notice. News reports say property owner MDC Properties was shutting down all businesses on their Hinsdale properties: “They are de-emphasizing their corporate stores and focusing on their franchises. It’s panning out that way across the country.”-Tim Scott, Hinsdale economic development director
Indiana: In Muncie, packaging company DIY Group laying off 261 people by the end of the year! They’re consolidating ops due to crashing sales.
Kansas: Overland Park based cell phone service provider Sprint warning of massive layoffs. Company officials said they must radically restructure to remain competitive.
Massachusetts: In Westfield, Savage Arms announced it will layoff 95 gun makers in the U.S. and 25 gun makers in Canada. Company officials blame crashing demand. Cape Cod Healthcare laid off eight lab workers. Many full time jobs are being cut back to part time.
Michigan: As an example of a failed state, Detroit’s bankruptcy expert sent the failed city a bill for $300-thousand USD! Store vacancies are getting so bad in Detroit, that shoppers in the Royal Oak area are getting nervous. Local news reports say there are more than a dozens empty retail spaces in Royal Oak, most having been vacated in the past seven months. Basically people are giving up: “Everybody’s kind of saying the same thing where we’re tired of struggling.”-Katrina Bray, store owner who is shutting down
Nebraska: What housing market recovery? In Scottsbluff, Nationstar Mortgage laying off 90 employees by October.
New York: Buffalo School District laid off 63 teachers. The district is dealing with what I call DSS, so much so they’re consolidating school #115 with school #97, and they’ve eliminated an entire 9th grade class.
North Carolina: After 29 years Forbes Custom Cabinets of Apex now chapter 7 bankrupt busted, 37 jobs could be lost.
Ohio: In Dayton, after 27 years Patio & Hearth shutdown. What housing market recovery? RealtyTrac reports that Ohio’s foreclosure rate jumped 23% from July 2013 to July 2014.
Tennessee: In Kingsport, after 27 years non-profit Rascals Teen Center shutdown: “We just got to where we couldn’t really continue. Things had to change. We tried to work through the change, tried to do some things, but we got to where we couldn’t continue on…..No matter how much we advertised on the radio, the newspaper and Facebook, it’s like we still couldn’t contact everybody….I don’t know what happened.”-Amy McAtee, executive director
Texas: In San Antonio, after five years restaurant Tre Trattoria (aka Tre Downtown) shutdown.
Washington DC: The U.S. Navy announced they will kill off 8-thousand Petty Officer positions in 2015 (in the USN enlisted ranks above E-2 are called “petty” officers)! Most job destruction will be through discharging of POs who have misconduct problems, and forced early retirement of senior ranking Petty Officers. USN officials claim they will review each and every PO personnel record to decide who goes and who stays.
The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) doesn’t count the hundreds of layoffs involving less than 50 people each, in its mass layoff reports. It also doesn’t count all the little ‘mom & pop’ businesses that shutdown. It doesn’t count people who get a severance for being laid off.
“Our ideals and principles, as well as our national security…That’s what makes America different. That’s what makes us exceptional.”-Barack Obama, 10 September 2013