Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:

California: In Duarte, France based food services and facilities management Sodexo issued a WARN saying they will shutdown by March, 160 jobs lost!  Redwood City based internet ‘workspace’ company Evernote announced layoffs, the first round saw 20 people in Texas, and globally, become jobless.  More will follow.  Ironically company administrators claim they’re hiring!  In San Francisco, video game maker Kixeye issued a WARN saying 70 people will become jobless in March, however, gaming industry news sources say as many as 100 people have already been laid off!

Florida: In Port Richey, Macy’s issued a WARN saying they will shutdown their Gulf View Square Mall store, 70 people will be laid off by the end of March.  In Miami, Top of the Port Airport Hotel restaurant shutting down in March, 52 jobs lost.

Massachusetts: After 86 years upscale elitist clothing store Louis Boston shutdown.   Debi Greenberg, the current family owner, said the new long term lease was unacceptable and took it as a sign to retire.

Michigan: After 35 years the Sports Leader store in Taylor shutdown.  The owner blames increasing competition: “It was a big ride and a lot of fun while it lasted.  When I started in this line of work I was one of only three…”-Richard Dvorsky

Missouri: Cargill announced it is shutting down their Springfield meat factory by March, 118 jobs lost! Some employees will be able to move to Nebraska or Texas, if they want to keep their Cargill jobs.

Nebraska: In Lincoln, after nearly 60 years Baker Ace Hardware shutting down in March.  The greedy property owners sold the property to an apartment developer.

New York: In DeWitt, Macy’s issued a WARN saying they will shutdown their Shoppingtown Mall store, 87 people will be laid off by the end of April.  In Schenectady, Macy’s issued a WARN saying they will shutdown their Rotterdam Square store, 90 people will be laid off by the end of April.  In NYC, the Aron Streit bakery issued a WARN saying they will cease production by May.  Williamsville based TOPS Markets (aka TOPS Friendly Markets) announced it will shutdown at least 27 pharmacies in its grocery stores in the states of New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont.

North Carolina: Furniture store Blacklion shutdown its Dilworth store.

Ohio: A Cleveland Noodlecat ramen restaurant shutdown, due to disagreements with the property owner over the lease.

Oregon: Obama Care health insurance exchange operation Cover Oregon announced it will layoff its 62 employees by April, blaming the failure of the exchange program!  “The state abandoned the exchange in April after deciding it was cheaper to switch to the federal site than to fix Cover Oregon……Lawmakers plan to pass a bill dissolving Cover Oregon….”-KTVZ

Pennsylvania: After 80 years, Pennsylvania based female clothing store Deb Shops (aka DEB) went chapter 11 bankrupt busted in December, and is now going to shutdown all 287 stores across the United States by April, nearly 3-thousand jobs lost!  In Saint Clair, after 75 years Johnnie’s Servicecenter shutdown, the pissed off owners blamed the bad economy and competition: “It’s sad, you know? It was a struggle and we took it as far as it could go…….Obviously, we didn’t survive this long just from putting the key in the door!”-Dennis Sninsky

Tennessee: In Harding Pike, after only five years it was announced that the Harris Teeter grocery store will shutdown in February. The store was bought out by competitor Kroger, who already has a store in the same area.  Daikin Industries announced they’re shutting down all their Goodman HVAC factories in Tennessee and moving to Texas by 2017,  at least 19-hundred jobs affected!

Texas: In Sharpstown, after 24 years the Jewelry Exchange Center shutdown, apparently the family is moving the store to Sugar Land.

Virginia: In Roanoke, after 15 years Trapézi Furniture shutdown.  The owners of the store also own the property, and they are now renting it out to a physical therapist.

Wisconsin:  Brookfield based commercial printer Mittera announced it will shutdown their recently acquired J.B. Kenehan operations in March, 56 jobs lost.  After 50 years iconic Greenfield News and Hobby store shutdown.  The store was up for sale, with no luck.   “A lot of kids aren’t picking up these hobbies either because they’re being priced out … or because they’d rather go to online or home video games, and it’s hard to counteract that.”-Jeff Reich, editor of Model Retailer,  Kalmbach Publishing

07-08-January-2015: “We cannot continue…” 1 in 7 being evicted!

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.