Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:
California: Once again Boeing issued several WARNs, this time at least 94 people will be laid off by the end of April. Due to the hostile take over by Cerberus Albertsons, Safeway issued several more WARNs saying at least 132 people will lose their jobs in Pleasanton and Dublin. In San Diego more job destruction; DialAmerica issued a WARN saying they’re shutting down their factory by May, 227 jobs lost! Midland Credit issued a WARN saying 40 people will be laid off in May. Active Network issued a layoff WARN saying 53 people will become jobless at the beginning of May. In Los Angeles, is Obama Care behind the layoff of 15 employees at the Bienvenidos Children Center? The WARN only says the layoffs will take place in April. In Torrance, Japanese CD maker Panasonic issued a WARN saying they will shut down their disk factory by the end of April, at least 87 jobs lost. In Pittsburg, steel maker USS-POSCO issued a WARN saying they must “temporarily” shutdown their factory at the end of April, at least 666 jobs lost! In Valencia, Better Bakery issued a layoff WARN for April, 45 jobs lost. In San Francisco, RealPage issued a shutdown WARN for April, 89 jobs lost. In Shafter, more Baker Hughes oil employees getting the shaft as 50 were rendered jobless without warning. Don’t blame oil prices, blame the take over by Halliburton. In Vernon, V&L Produce issued a layoff WARN saying 87 people will be laid off by the end of April. Palo Alto based Hewlett Packard (HP) announced it will kill off even more jobs, just as soon as it’s done killing off 55-thousand jobs currently! It’s part of the company’s plans to be split into two separate entities. Maker of revolutionary Light Field Cameras, Lytro is reportedly laying off 50 employees, apparently because the successful company is shifting focus to internet-social media and video.
Colorado: Lakewood based Einstein Bros Bagels announced it will shutdown 39 stores across the United States, apparently due to lack of sales: “After careful evaluation, Einstein Noah Restaurant Group, Inc. (“ENRGI”) has come to the difficult decision to close 39 underperforming restaurants, effective Tuesday, February 24, 2015.”
Connecticut: Ohio based grocery store XPect Discounts announced it will shutdown all remaining stores in The Constitution State by the end of 2015! Local news reports say no ‘official’ reason was given. In Southbury, after 12 years the owners of Koenig Art Emporium announced they will shutdown in March saying “as the economy has dictated.”
Florida: Another women’s clothing operation going down; local news reports say Fort Myers based Chico’s is about to layoff huge numbers of employees due to the failure to find a buyer. 120 stores will be shutdown by 2017, with a minimum of 240 jobs lost! Company administrators blame an “unexpected” jump in operating costs, and blames bad sales on those evil fickle female shoppers.
Illinois: In Naperville, the Hollywood Palms Theater is now chapter 11 bankrupt busted and up for sale. The owner was recently arrested and charged with fraud and tax evasion.
Indiana: ModusLink issued a WARN saying 320 people will become jobless in April! Administrators say they lost a major client.
Massachusetts: It may have survived the Marathon bombing but it can’t survive the Boston Weak economy; the iconic FORUM Bar & Restaurant shutdown, the owner blames evil property owners for killing it off: “After the tragic events of the 2013 Boston Marathon….four long months of reconstruction…bureaucracy…the current real estate climate on Boylston Street has motivated FORUM’s landlord to raise rent…nearly three times our current rate…makes it financially impossible…”
Michigan: In Mount Morris, after 43 years meijer department and grocery store shutdown. Administrators basically said the sales were not high enough to justify renewing the lease. News reports say the building will be torn down, but no other info was available, 190 jobs lost! In Port Huron, after more than ten years the Backyard Soaps and Candles retail outlet shutdown. The owners blamed the bad economy saying “The shop was losing so much money…we didn’t get enough foot traffic.” The soap maker still sells over the internet.
Missouri: Toys R Us is shutting down their Ferguson store in March, 36 jobs lost. The property is up for sale.
Nebraska: Italy-Netherlands based New Holland farm equipment maker CNH Industrial announced they will layoff 136 U.S. citizens at their Grand Island factory by the end of July! Company administrators blame the bad global economy for crashing sales.
Nevada: In Reno, after 11 years the Tronix Nightclub shutdown, blaming “a huge drop in sales and customer’s support”.
New Jersey: After 65 years the Surflight Theater now chapter 7 bankrupt busted and dead. The operators blame years of bad sales and a 2012 fire followed by damage caused by Hurricane Sandy. In 2014 they tried to raise money through private donations, but failed. Pennsylvania based arena operator Aramark announced that more than 17-hundred jobs will be lost when they shutdown the Izod Center after March! Administrators blame crashing ticket sales.
New York: Sears Holdings issued a WARN saying they will shutdown their Bay Shore Product Rebuild Center in May, 134 jobs lost! Internet based real estate company Trulia issued a WARN saying they will layoff a small number of employees by August, it’s connected to the hostile takeover by internet based Zwillow. Peninsula Counseling Center issued a WARN saying they will shutdown their Valley Stream Article 31 Clinic in April, 77 jobs lost (is Obama Care to blame?). Too Big to Jail Community National Bank issued a WARN relating to their 2014 sale to Bridgehampton National Bank (aka Bridge Bankcorp), more than 1-hundred jobs could be lost by May! Too Big to Jail Bank of America announced that 53 people will become unemployed as they shutdown their Jericho mortgage office. In NYC owner of Comedy Central and MTV, Viacom is warning of massive layoffs, blaming crashing ratings. Too Big to Jail JP Morgan Chase announced they will shutdown 3-hundred offices over the next two years, blaming new rules penalizing big banks for having large uninsured accounts.
North Carolina: Charlotte Marriott City Center hotel laid off 68 people, blaming remodeling work. In Charlotte, famous chef Emeril announced he is shutting down his e2 emeril’s eatery and e2GO in April: “The restaurant was never able to achieve the volume projected…”-facebook statement
Pennsylvania: O’Hara based Giant Eagle owned Good Cents Grocery shutting down all eight stores in Pennsylvania and Ohio, in March. Administrators with Giant Eagle blamed the bad economy for the failure of their Good Cents Grocery chain. Some of the Good Cents Grocery stores had been open for only one year, replacing Valu King stores! Each store has about 35 employees. Noble Energy announced it is shutting down it’s 83 years old Ardmore office, 125 jobs lost! Company administrators blame the volatile oil industry, and also warned they will consolidate their Texas ops saying “by the end of April, folks will know whether they do or don’t have a position”.
Rhode Island: Obama Care destroys 41 jobs at the Women & Infants Hospital. Work hours for other employees are being reduced. Local news reports referred to Obama Care as a “challenging healthcare environment”.
Texas: Oil field company Tenaris announced it will shutdown its Conroe ops by April, 230 jobs lost! But wait, don’t blame it all on oil prices, company administrators say the main reason is “Record levels of unfairly traded imports of OCTG (oil country tubular goods) from South Korea…” In Waco, aircraft company L-3 laid off 115 people! Company administrators blamed “reduced volume of work”.
Washington: Reports that student travel company People to People laid off about 50 people in Spokane. Local news reports say company administrators refuse to comment. At one point the company had 2-hundred employees but is apparently down to just 50 after this latest round of layoffs. The owner of Boat Street Cafe says she will shut it down in May, she still has two other restaurants. Redmond based Microsoft announced it will shutdown two factories in China by the end of March, killing off 9-thousand jobs!
19 – 22 February 2015: “It absolutely killed us…”
WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification
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.