Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:
Arizona: In Tucson, Bring Funeral Homes on Scott Avenue died. The owners had to consolidate ops to their Broadway location. The morbid owners actually blamed it on the lack of dying people near their Scott Avenue location!
California: In Calabasas, Microsoft controlled HERE North America (formerly Nokia Location & Commerce) issued a WARN saying at least 18 people will be laid off between January and February 2015. In Los Angeles, Trinity Sports issued a WARN saying they will shutdown by January 2015, at least 135 jobs lost!
Florida: After barely 12 years the Sea Breeze Winery announced they’re shutting down in December. The owner says she’ll continue to sell grapes to other wineries. In University Park, Shapes Total Fitness discriminatory women’s only fitness club shutdown, it’s blamed on the property owners for jacking up the rent. In Panama City, after 80 years commercial printer Boyd Brothers shutdown, blaming the economy and the Too Big to Jail banks for killing off 100 jobs: “…due to the changing dynamics of the industry and lack of access to capital, Boyd is forced to close its doors.”
Indiana: In Jasper, after 66 years Inwood Office Furniture shutdown, 85 jobs lost. The owners blamed crashing sales and an offer for their property they couldn’t refuse: “…demand for quality wood private office furniture continues to decline, and because we have a committed purchaser for our plant and land…”
Iowa: What automotive industry recovery? Vehicle muffler maker Donaldson announced they are shutting down their Grinnel factory and consolidating operations to Alabama, 75 jobs lost. In Iowa City, after 34 years the local owner of the soap store The Soap Opera announced it will shutdown in January 2015, for personal reasons.
Kentucky: O’Brien & Gere engineering laid off 27 employees as it shutdown its Louisville office, blaming a decline in taxpayer funded government construction projects.
Maine: The Big Lots rip off store in Bangor is shutting down in January 2015. I say it’s a ripoff because I’ve found many of the items I price checked to be much cheaper at first run retailers (at least here in Idaho)! By the way, Big Lots exited the Canadian market in 2013, a portent of things to come for U.S. retailers wanting to do business in the Great White North?
New Jersey: In Atlantic City, the owner of Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort (the owner is not Donald Trump) made it official and announced its shutdown, 3-thousand jobs will be lost! It’s the 5th Atlantic City casino to shutdown in 2014, for a total of 11-thousand jobs lost, not counting all the outside suppliers and mom & pops that relied on the casinos for business!!! In Ridgewood, Obama Care is the final straw that killed off decades old Harding Pharmacy and Liquors. The independent owner of the store directly blamed “reduced reimbursements” for forcing him to sell out and go to work for a competing pharmacy. In Raritan, after 11 years women’s clothing store Chaos shutdown. The owner, Karen Brooks, said “With rent, utilities and other operating costs, it’s hard to see the value in trying to keep up.” Englewood based CNBC (formerly the Consumer News and Business Channel) unexpectedly laid off eight employees: “The total bloodbath was unexpected. They pushed out a lot of loyal, very qualified people. It was like watching people get executed.”-unnamed source quoted by Business Insider
Brookdale Community College administrators say crashing enrollment is causing them to be short $8.5-million USD for the upcoming 2015-16 school year and warned of 210 layoffs: “These are tough times and the organizational structure we have now is not sustainable; the board is aware of this harsh fact. Our current models are no longer effective in serving today’s students, and we must catch up with the advances that have been made in educational technology.”-Maureen Murphy, president
Ohio: Hocking College laid off 36 employees and warned of mandatory furloughs for others, blaming DSS (what I call Disappearing Student Syndrome). In 2010 the college had 6,599 students, in 2013 there were 4,094 students and for the 2014-15 year they’re down to 3,474; almost a 50% drop in enrollment since 2010!
Pennsylvania: In Hazelton, it was revealed that Weir Minerals will shutdown and move ops to Wisconsin and Georgia by March 2015, at least 90 jobs lost. Anti-2nd Amendment Pepsi shutdown yet another distribution center, this time in West Goshen. 60 employees are being forced to move, if they want to stay employed, while at least six employees were rendered unemployed. In Dallas, Offset Paperback Manufacturers issued a WARN saying 37 people will become jobless in January 2015. In Towanda, Global Tungsten & Powders laid off 120 people saying “The company has been severely impacted by the low pricing of finished phosphor exported from China, which has affected (GTP’s) ability to competitively manufacture phosphors from rare earth concentrates and also from GTP’s rare earth recycling plant.”
South Dakota: Electronic gadget insurance company Asurion announced they’re shutting down their seven years old Rapid City call center in January 2015, about 232 jobs lost!
Texas: In Bryan, the company that loves to boast that they are the largest female owned accounts receivables-customer relationship operations in the country, Pennsylvania based Penncro Associates, laid off 175 people with only a few minutes notice! It’s blamed on the loss of a major contract “due to unprofessionalism”, a female employee said “As of November 28 they were going to start laying everyone off!……I’m not going to have my home any longer. I’m not going to be able to help my family!”-Kelly Henderson
Washington: The for profit Avamere Georgian House nursing home forced to layoff 69 employees and shutdown its Lakewood ops. Employees said the dilapidated building in Lakewood is forcing the nursing home operator to move patients to their nursing home in Tacoma. In Vancouver, after 105 years (surviving the Great deflationary Depression and numerous recessions) Luepke Florist announced they will shutdown after Xmas due to the new landlord jacking up the rent.
Wisconsin: In Appleton and Green Bay, after more than ten years Goodwill Industries shutdown their popular Harmony Café. Although it was popular Goodwill administrators say the two restaurants were actually losing money, at least $1-million over the past four years: “The restaurant side got away from us. We kept subsidizing them hoping we would finally create a plan that would be competitive.”-Bob Pedersen, president & CEO
12-13 November-2014 “That’s it, I’m done!”
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.