Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:
California: Los Angeles based clothier XXI Forever (aka Forever 21) shutting down their Powell and Market streets store by August. Company administrators said the store is too big and too close to another XXI Forever store.
Connecticut: Missouri based Hallmark continues its death spiral, this time 570 people will become jobless as Hallmark shuts down their 63 years old Enfield distribution center by 2016!
Delaware: NYC based publisher Condé Nast laid off 30 people at its Wilmington Shared Services office. Half of the positions were eliminated outright while the other 15 went to contractors. Local news reports said the publisher had no comment. Pike Creek Coffee Roasterie announced that “Due to increasing health concerns of the owner, we are scaling back our business…”.
Hawaii: Krazy Karaoke shutting down by the end of the month, no thanks to the greedy landlord: “We were hoping to renew the lease, it didn’t work out….We’re really sad that we’re going to lose the location. It’s out of our hands. We don’t call the shots.”-Lynn Shiroma, co-owner
Illinois: In Glen Ellyn, after 50 years Katy’s Boutique shutdown, due to the owners third bout with cancer. In Skokie, after 50 years Jack’s Restaurant shutdown, the property is being sold so the owner can retire.
Kansas: What housing market recovery? Mortgage company Service Link issued a layoff WARN for 53 employees at its Overland Park office.
Massachusetts: In Wayland, J.J. Mckay’s restaurant and Beyond Beans bakery shutdown. After being charged with fraud and then laying off 25% of employees, Wellesley based Too Big to Jail F-Squared Investments now bankrupt busted and being sold off.
Michigan: What automotive industry recovery? “Due to loss of customer business and competitive pressures to consolidate our business operations, Visteon Corporation will permanently close our facility located at 915 East 32nd Street in Holland, Michigan.” 151 automotive engineers will become jobless by September!
New York: Too Big to Jail JP Morgan Chase is paying out an additional $125-million USD in fines to settle new state and federal charges of credit card fraud. JP Morgan Chase has already paid $389-million to settle previous accusations.
North Carolina: Trucking and warehousing company Schenker issued a layoff WARN for 33 employees in September. It’s directly connected to Proctor & Gamble’s consolidation of shipping ops. After 150 years (surviving the Great deflationary Depression and numerous recessions) Raleigh’s Briggs Hardware shutdown. No reason given, but supposedly the owners are opening a new store in a new location.
Tennessee: In Memphis, after 38 years Buckley’s Antiques shutdown.
Texas: The city of Houston warned of mass layoffs due to massive debt financing of public works. Sounds like Greece. City administrators are blaming ObamaCare increases in retirement funds for most of the skyrocketing costs of operations, and said state ‘lawmakers’ are not willing to help out. A local TV (KPRC) news poll asked cash strapped Houstonians if they were willing to pay more taxes, more than 90% said no!
Vermont: In Williston, after 30 years children’s store Buttered Noodles shutdown.
Washington: As I’ve been warning, Redmond based Microsoft announced mass layoffs (again), this time 7-thousand 8-hundred people (mainly in Microsoft’s cell phone business) becoming jobless!
04 – 07 July 2015: “…we lost money every single month…”
WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification
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.”