Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:
British empire United Kingdom based legal drugs pusher GlaxoSmithKline announced massive layoffs that will impact hundreds of jobs in the United States! Apparently the bad economy in the U.S. is forcing the British company to cut expenses by $1.56-billion over the next three years. What the company said sounds like their abandoning the U.S. market: “…a new restructuring program to refocus our global pharmaceuticals business and deliver cost savings. The aim of this program is to improve performance by taking unnecessary complexity out of our operations and establish a smaller, more focused organization, operating at lower costs, that supports our future portfolio.”
California: Boeing subsidiary Narus shutdown their Sunnyvale office with little notice to state employment administrators, 35 jobs lost.
Florida: After 25 years the SoBe Thrifty store in Miami Beach announced they will shutdown in January 2015. The operator, healthcare agency Care Resource, blames road construction which has caused a “sharp drop” in business as well as the landlord who jacked up the rent: “This is something we didn’t want to do. The general business decline, mixed with steep rent increases in that area, literally make it impossible to keep the store open.”-Jonathan Welsh
Illinois: Oakton Community College warned it will layoff 80 teachers before the 2015-16 school year. Apparently the teachers are retired and a potential new state law says retired teachers can no longer be hired by state funded schools. UPS (United Parcel Service) issued a WARN saying they will shutdown their Addison operations for the next two years, rendering 449 people jobless! In Rosemont, Puerto Rico based Banco Popular killing off 233 jobs! The bank is getting the hell out of the continental United States, and is conducting a massive sell-off of its offices across the Lower 48. Also in Rosemont, Rosewood Restaurant & Banquets issued a WARN saying they will shutdown at the end of December, 104 jobs lost! Sealy Mattress issued a WARN saying 174 people working at their Batavia factory will become unemployed before Xmas! Evil collections agency Ceannate announced they’re shutting down their Rockford office in February 2015, at least 130 jobs lost! Four Chicago area country clubs shutting down by January 2015, at least 288 jobs lost! Also in Chicago, Continental Furniture laying off 63 people in January 2015 as well as GE Zenith Controls laying off 139 people in January 2015! God refuses to stop ‘his’ Benedictine University from laying off an undisclosed number of employees on their Springfield campus, right after Xmas! In Wood Dale, after 28 years direct jewelry seller Lia Sophia announced they will end U.S. and Canadian operations by February 2015, tens of thousands of employees and independent sellers affected! A 2008 news report said Lia Sophia had 27-thousand sellers just in the United States, and currently there are 8-hundred sellers in the state of Illinois! Company administrators blamed the suck-ass economy: “…given the challenging business environment, we made the painful decision to wind down Lia Sophia in the United States and Canada by December 31, and cease operations by the end of February.”
Indiana: The Hollywood Casino laid off an undisclosed number of employees. Local news reports say the casino now has 450 less employees than it did in 2012!
Iowa: In Cedar Rapids, after nine years Cranky Hank’s pizza joint in the Lindale Mall shutdown.
Maine: The University of Southern Maine continues to kill off jobs, this time 61 people now unemployed and five programs canceled. They continue to blame a 30% crash in student enrollment!
Michigan: The Holland Museum laid off six employees and reduced operating hours. Administrators warned if their financial situation doesn’t improve within six months they will shutdown. Apparently the museum gets local tax funding, but tax strapped voters recently voted down funding increases.
Missouri: 20 years old Saint Louis based Access Courier issued a WARN saying they will kill off 74 jobs in December, due to “sale of assets”. South Dakota based Raven Industries issued a WARN saying they’re shutting down their Earth City ops by August 2015, at least 58 jobs lost. Their Earth City factory makes remote controls for adjustable beds, but sales are apparently so bad that the company will make more money selling off the factory.
New York: In Kirkwood, book publisher Penguin Random House issued a WARN saying they’re shutting down in September 2015, layoffs will begin in January 2015, at least 286 jobs will be lost! NYC based sports media management company IMG laying off 100 employees! It the result of being taken over by California based privately held talent agency WME. Once again The New York Times killing off more jobs. Recently the newspaper tried to bribe 100 employees to quit with buyouts, 85 employees took the deal. Now at least 15 people will be laid off outright. And after 95 years (surviving the Great deflationary Depression and numerous recessions) art supply store Sam Flax announced it will shutdown its HQ store on 900 Third Avenue by Xmas! Employees blamed the evil landlord for jacking up the rent!
Utah: In Ogden, after 38 years the family owners of Sandy’s Fine Foods restaurant announced they will shutdown by the end of the month. It will end with a yard sale of restaurant memorabilia. The family will focus on their catering business.
Vermont: Vermont Technical College warned of layoffs due partly to the loss of 160 students over the past three years.
Washington: Near Pasco, the largest trucking operation in the World Swift Transportation issued a WARN saying they’re killing off 130 jobs in January 2015!
27-30-november-2014: “Everything must go!”
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.