Incomplete list of U.S. job loss announcements and shutdowns.
Connecticut: In South Windsor, school bus contractor First Student issued a layoff WARN, 48 people jobless by the end of June. In Bridgeport, Parcc Health Care shutting down Astoria Park nursing home, 127 jobs lost by September/October! Last year state administrators took control of the nursing home using the excuse the “…facility has sustained a serious financial loss or failure which jeopardizes the health, safety and welfare of the patients or there is a reasonable likelihood of such loss or failure.”
Florida: In Saint Armands, ‘resort’ clothing boutique Patchington shutting down this weekend. Another Patchington in Sarasota has already shutdown. At one time Patchington had 50 clothing stores in several states, now they’re down to about a dozen in Florida and New Jersey. Don’t blame the internet, they have a website.
Idaho: Idaho state level ‘elected’ politicians have so far spent $136-thousand taxpayer dollars on travel expenses for this past 75 days legislative session! The revelation was made after The Associated Press forced the release of data through a Freedom of Information demand. Not all reimbursement requests have been submitted, so expect the total tax dollars spent to go up.
Illinois: Chicago based employment tracker Challenger, Gray & Christmas reports a 35% increase in publicly announced layoffs from March through April, the biggest increase since January to April 2009!
In Chicago, The Berghoff Restaurant issued a shutdown WARN, 156 jobs gone by the end of June due to sale of the massive restaurant! In Aurora, UTi Integrated Logistics issued a shutdown WARN, 31 jobs lost by the end of July. In Buffalo Grove, car insurance and information management company LYNX Services-HyperQuest issued a shutdown WARN, 55 jobs lost by mid-June. “Poor economy” being blamed for the shutdown WARN issued for Wood River Power Station, 83 jobs gone by mid-July. The Kmart Super Center in Bradley shutting down this weekend, 125 jobs lost! Sears Holdings sold the building to Meijer, unconfirmed reports say the Kmart Super Center (which has a full grocery op) was actually making money.
Michigan: Michigan South Central Power Agency shutting down the 30 years old coal fired Endicott power plant, 65 jobs lost by the end of the month.
Missouri: In Washington, after 27 years Town ‘N Country Lanes shutting down by the end of the month: “We are done….It’s been a long, hard time. We can’t make ends meet anymore. It’s devastating.”-Lance Unnerstall, owner
New Hampshire: Elliot Health Systems shutting down their five years old Ob-Gyn operations in Manchester. The two doctors that work there say lack of customers is not the reason as 210 babies were born last year! Administrators of Elliot Health say they’re now focusing on ‘high risk pregnancies’ only, one of the affected doctors calls it BS: “I really didn’t think they’d do it because we’re just so busy….I don’t know the reasons of why they’re closing the practice.”-Thomas Antisdel
New Jersey: NGR Solar announced it is streamlining its home solar division, meaning 5-hundred employees becoming unemployed!
New York: In Albany, god powerless to stop ‘his’ girls only Academy of the Holy Names from shutting down its elementary school, due to crashing enrollment (Rapture?). After 20 years all remaining 15 Scoop NYC clothing stores shutting down due to lack of sales! Don’t blame internet competition because Scoop NYC has its own website. After more than 20 years Other Music shutting down their brick-n-mortar store and ending their mail order business, they will focus on their recording ops. The owners said “times have changed”.
Ohio: What auto industry recovery? Wheel bearing maker KBI (Kyklos Bearing International) shutting down their Sandusky factory, more than 3-hundred jobs gone by the end of the year! Without warning the Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections announced they will shutdown 10 prison farm ops, even though they recently spent $9-million tax dollars upgrading farm equipment. 72 unions jobs threatened, the union says they could sue because their contract requires state administrators to discuss such a shutdown with union members before making a decision to do so. In Pleasant Ridge, the Highland Remke Markets grocery store shutting down, 54 jobs gone in June. Administrators say shutting it down is the only way they can pay to remodel other better performing Remke Markets.
Tennessee: JoS. A. Bank Clothiers shutting down its massive store at The Columns, this weekend. There will be no ‘going out of business sale’, this is part of the parent company’s plan to shutdown 250 JoS. A. Banks and Men’s Warehouse stores across the U.S.!
Virginia: In Arlington, after 35 years Dominion Pet Center shutting down, incorrectly blaming the internet when in fact it could be the big national chain pet store that moved into the neighborhood a couple of years ago.
Washington: In Bainbridge Island, after 60 years Winslow Drug shutting down. The owner blames multiple reasons, but says the final straws were when Virginia Mason announced it was shutting down its Bainbridge Island Medical Center, and reductions in insurance reimbursements caused by ObamaCare.
WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification. I found a 2010 AFL-CIO analysis (titled The Public Availability of WARN Notices: Lack of Accessibility and Disclosure…) which proves what I’ve been suspecting in my search of state WARN notices; most states are not complying with federal WARN regulations and are not publicizing or tracking mass layoffs.
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.”