Incomplete list of U.S. retail/banking/service sector job loss announcements and shutdowns for October 2016:
Arizona: In Glendale, Divine Consign shutdown without warning, leaving employees and consignment sellers in the lurch: “People are wanting to get their things…..I came down and opened the door so they can get their things. I no longer have a job…..I don’t know what’s going on from here on out!”-Shannon Couch, former employee
California: In San Rafael, after 23 years Bullseye Indoor Range & Firearms Store forced to shutdown by greedy landlord and new anti-2nd Amendment ‘laws’. Richard Simmons forced to shutdown his Beverly Hills 42 years old Slimmons fitness center. Associated Third Party Administrators issued multiple shutdown WARNs across California, 218 jobs gone by Thanksgiving! The Red Lion Hotel shutting down their Woodlake Center in Sacramento, 120 jobs gone right before Xmas! San Francisco based clothier Gap shutting down all its Banana Republic stores in the British empire country of United Kingdom. In San Francisco, Japan based Hotel Nikko shutting down, 336 jobs gone right after Thanksgiving. Supposedly the shutdown is “temporary”. Also in San Francisco, after 30 years Arthur Ben Shoes shutdown, the owner blames five years of rent increases. Switzerland based staffing agency Adecco issued a shutdown WARN for its Jurupa Valley location, 129 jobs lost by the end of January 2017! In Palo Alto, Pennisula Hardware shutting down after 63 years, the owner is retiring but admitted he gave up trying to compete with the “big box stores”.
Connecticut: Bon Ton shutting down their Hampden store, 61 jobs gone by January 2017. Hotel chain Marriott International killing 163 Stamford jobs right after Xmas! Also in Stamford, British empire’s Royal Bank of Scotland issued yet another layoff WARN, this time 40 jobs killed right before Xmas.
Georgia: WestPoint Home Bed & Bath Outlet in Lake Park shutting down in November, local news media says the corporate office refused to comment.
Idaho: After 40 years in Idaho Falls, Madsen’s Crafts and Framing shutting down in November. One of the retiring co-owners said decades ago he quit his job with Sears in Utah to run the local Idaho craft store, and he has no regrets. In Lewiston, Discount Vacuum shutdown after 35 years, due to the owner’s health problems.
Illinois: Bon Ton shutting down their Bergner’s store in Machesney Park, 43 jobs gone by January 2017. Cherry Street Guitar Company shutting down because the owner just got hired by his competitor’s West Music store. Office Max shutting down their Yorkville store in time for Thanksgiving, as part of their three years plan to shutdown at least 3-hundred stores. Payless Shoes shutting down three stores in the Centralia area, right after Thanksgiving. Payless Shoes blames it on “landlord issues”. In Bloomington, after 37 years Bob Taylor’s Classic Auto shutdown, the classic cars auctioned off so the owner can retire. In Hickory Hills, First Midwest Bank eliminating 109 jobs after Thanksgiving, no reason given in the WARNs! Hilton Indian Lakes Resort issued a layoff WARN, 80 jobs lost by January 2017, no reason given.
Indiana: In South Bend, Buttons & Bows clothing store shutdown due to the death of the owner.
Maryland: Lanham based patio furniture chain-store Offenbachers bankrupt busted and shutting down all eight stores after 44 years of business!
Michigan: After 149 years Hoekstra Hardware shutting down in time for Xmas. The oldest business in Kalamazoo was up for sale for the past two years, nobody was interested in buying the successful business.
Minnesota: In Alexandria, Randy’s Menswear shutdown. The retiring owner revealed that 40 years ago his successful foray into selling clothing was meant as a temporary job.
Missouri: Walmart shutting down their Piedmond and Caruthersville stores, 160 jobs gone by January 2017!
New Jersey: In Atlantic City, the Icahn-Trump owned Trump Taj Mahal Casino officially shutdown, 3-thousand jobs gone!
New Mexico: Office Max shutting down their store on Menaul near Carlisle, in time for Thanksgiving.
New York: The Clinton Foundation issued yet another layoff WARN, this time 74 Clinton Global Initiative employees unemployed right after Xmas. In Middletown, A&P Coat, Apron & Linen Supply issued a shutdown WARN for their Unitex Textile Rental Services, 65 jobs gone by January 2017. Clothier Aéropostale shutting down three Capital Region stores, despite ending its bankruptcy. Goldman Sachs laid off an additional 20 people. Local news reports say the Too Big to Jail company has eliminated 486 New York jobs so far this year! In Elmira, after 107 years Rubin’s Newsstand shutting down after Xmas: “There’s no more retail in there. The complexion for retail changed……it’s time, time for us to dedicate efforts to our operations at Southern Tier News.”-Geoff Rubin
North Carolina: In Raleigh, after 70 years Askew-Taylor Paints shutting down, the family heir to the business can make more money with her college degree.
North Dakota: What housing market recovery? Too Big to Jail Coldwell Banker suddenly shutdown their 47 years old real estate ops in Fargo. Local news reports say state officials got suspicious when Coldwell real estate agents failed to renew their state issued licenses, no comment from Coldwell admin.
Ohio: After 45 years 36 hole Weatherwax Golf Course shutting down in November. The owners swear it’s not because of low sales, yet local news media says it’s the fifth area golf course to shutdown. Apparently golf courses in Ohio are being taken over at taxpayer expense to be turned into money losing parks. In Lima, after 42 years SAY Furniture & Mattress shutting down in time for Xmas. The owner blames his health problems, but admitted he could make more money renting out the building.
Oklahoma: Tulsa based BOK Financial suddenly laid off ‘about’ 1-hundred people, in an effort to cut costs.
Pennsylvania: The owner of the Schuylkill Mall is now chapter 7 bankrupt busted, which usually means they’re dead-in-the-water. The sale of the mall is already in the hands of the local sheriff. Popular roller skate rink Romp-n-Roll shutting down after Thanksgiving, no reason given. Office Max shutting down their Colonial Commons shopping center store in time for Thanksgiving, as part of their three years plan to shutdown at least 3-hundred stores.
South Dakota: In Britton, after 115 years Lee & Hanson Men’s Wear shutting down when the inventory is gone. In Sioux Falls, god powerless to stop ‘his’ YMCA from shutting down the Wise Buys thrift store, 37 jobs lost. YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association) administrators blame “market conditions”. Also in Sioux Falls, The Clothing Agency for Men shutdown.
Tennessee: After 40 years Woodstream Hardwoods shutting down right after Xmas, the owner is retiring to teach people how to work with wood.
Texas: Dallas based Commerce Bank shutting down 16 offices across the country (most in Michigan), 2-hundred jobs gone by April 2017!
Vermont: In Burlington, 176 years old Fremeau’s Jewelers shutting down because the aged owner can’t find anybody who wants to take over the business. Local news media suggested the city’s plan to jack-up taxes was also a factor. The Zutano Baby chain-store was sold, the Montpelier location was confirmed to shutdown. The new owners also changed the name and moved the HQ to Massachusetts.
Virginia: In Virginia Beach, Town Center Fitness shutting down due to family health problems. After 47 years Adkins Lighting Center shutting down because the retiring owners realized it would be too hard to find a buyer for their successful business.
Washington: Too Big to Jail Capital One laid off 234 people in Seattle without warning! In Everett, Hollander Investments eliminating 84 jobs right before Xmas. Bankrupt Hastings shutdown their store in Richland. In Kennewick, after at least 32 years Music Machine shutdown due to the owner deciding to leave the state to be with his ‘rising star executive’ wife. The last video store in Longview, Video’n More, shutdown.
Wyoming: After 30 years Worland Hardware shutdown, the owners blame a declining local population and yet an increase in retail competition: “As the town keeps shrinking it gets to having fewer and fewer customers. For years there were just two of us in town and now there are five that carry hardware. So the pie has gotten split in more pieces. ……we’ve really tried to sell it and we really did not want to see Worland lose another business but at the same time we can’t keep supporting it either.”– Lowell and Punkie Peterson
U.S. Tech/Communications layoffs, October 2016: No more Verizon?
September 2016: “THEY DON’T HAVE THE MONEY.”
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.”
Verizon shutting down its Orangeburg and Rochester call centers, at least 946 jobs gone between January and June 2017! It’s part of bigger plans to conduct massive shutdowns across the U.S. Local news reports say Verizon has already eliminated 162-thousand U.S. jobs! In Olean, Data Listing-The Connection eliminating 147 call center jobs due to loss of contract! NYC based AppNexus suddenly laid off 150 people as part of its reorganization in preps for its initial public offering (IPO)! If the stock markets are doing so good why is Barron’s killing jobs! An internal email, which was accidentallty sent publicly, revealed that Wall Street Journal owned Barron’s began eliminating jobs in October. Gannett began eliminating jobs at its The Journal News/lohud.com, proving that being good at your job won’t prevent you from becoming jobless: “It is a difficult day for the newsroom as we struggle with the realities of transformation…..we grieve the loss of incredibly committed colleagues.”-Traci Bauer, executive editor
