Incomplete list of U.S. job loss announcements and shutdowns.

Arkansas: In Hot Springs, flea market Central Station Marketplace shutting down by mid-May.  The evil greedy Texas based property owner is kicking  all the mom-n-pop tenants out in favor of a national retailer.  Local news media says the property owner refuses to say who the new major retailer is going to be.

California: After 105 years (surviving The Great [deflationary] Depression and numerous recessions) San Joaquin Lumber shutting down due to the economy not recovering.  The owners told local news media that before the 2007 recession began they had more than twice the number of employees they have now.  Their sales are so low they can make more money renting out their property to other businesses.

Colorado: Englewood based bankrupt Sports Authority announced it will shutdown all 464 stores, thousands of jobs lost!  Back in March they said they were shutting down 140 stores, but their financial situation is much worse than they originally thought.  In Denver, after 33 years Video One shutting down, the landlord found another tenant to pay higher rent. The store owner tried to keep the store open for those people who don’t have access to streaming video.  He also tried using internet crowd-funding to save the store, but it failed.

Florida: In Fort Myers, John’s Good Food popular BBQ joint shutting down tomorrow, due to a combination of the owner’s ongoing health problems and the greedy landlord kicking him out.   In Pinellas Park, Transitions Optical laying off 11 people by the end of June.  In Panama City, healthcare “revenue cycle” manager Navigant Gymetrix issued a WARN, 60 jobs gone by the end of June.

Illinois: Yet more massive shutdowns and layoffs for industrial vehicle maker Caterpillar.  Five factories in Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina are shutting down with some employees being transfered, but at least 820 people will become unemployed!

Missouri: University of Missouri-St. Louis Chancellor Thomas George eliminating 85 jobs due to a shortage of $15-million USD!

New York:  In Elmira, after 94 years (surviving The Great [deflationary] Depression and numerous recessions) Deister & Butler  jewelers shutting down so the family owners can retire.  In Ogdensburg, god powerless to stop the shutdown of 60 years old Wesleyan Church due to active membership dropping to 30 people (it’s TheRapture eyes tells ya, just kidding, or am I).  In Dewitt, Christopher & Banks shutting down their ShoppingTownMall clothing store.  Too Big to Jail Goldman Sachs issued a mass layoff WARN, 146 NYCers losing their jobs by the end of September!  Sears Holdings issued another WARN, this time 47 people in Rochester losing their jobs by mid-July.

North Carolina: In Concord, public transportation contractor First Transit lost their contract, 38 jobs lost by the end of June.

Ohio: Color additive and plastics maker Techmer Polymer Modifiers shutting down their Avon factory, affecting 26 jobs as they consolidate ops to Illinois and Delaware.

Oregon: In Portland, after 60 years Gordon’s Fireplace Shop shutting down, the owner tried to sell it but nobody was interested.  Local news reports say at one time there were 11 Gordon’s Fireplace Shops across the Pacific Northwest. More proof you brick-n-mortar store owners can’t directly blame the internet/high-tech for your demise; Veritas Software issued a WARN for their Springfield ops, 50 jobs lost by mid-June.

Pennsylvania: Gift store Hallmark announced the shutdown of six stores; Hazleton, Scranton, Shamokin, Bloomsburg, Lehighton, and Williamsport.  It’s blamed on lack of sales.  Some of the stores are more than 45 years old, local news media claimed that once word got out shoppers lined up outside the stores slated for shutdown. After 63 years iconic The Matey’s Crossroads Hotel Pizza & Steaks shutting down after a failed attempt to sell it.

Tennessee: In Chattanooga, after 31 years Kenton’s Shoe Repair shutting down due to the new property owner’s plans for the building.   The owner of the shoe repair shop, Reginald Cousin, said business was booming, but “The building’s been sold and I don’t want to move again. Me, being 73 years old, it’s time for me to retire.”

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

27-28 April 2016: “I can’t go on forever.”

Former employees who receive severance are not counted as unemployed!

Employees of religious non-profits might not qualify for unemployment assistance: “If the non-profit organization is a church, you may or may not be entitled to unemployment. It all depends upon state regulations for church employers. In many cases, churches are allowed to set their own rules regarding unemployment benefits, meaning the church can choose whether to offer benefits to former employees.”

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.”