Tag Archives: employment

Business/Economics, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Updated list of more Kmart and Sears closings! More Kmart stores in Ohio & Florida going down!

02 November 2012, in the past 24 hours it has been revealed that two more Kmarts are being closed, check my updated list.

Alabama: Gadsden Kmart (50 jobs lost), Mobile Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Auburn Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost).

California:   El Monte Sears (at least 40 jobs lost. Damien Arrula, El Monte’s economic development director, said the store manager had lied about what was going on: “The general manager of the store had just indicated to me that they were remodeling.”), two San Diego Sears (at least 80 jobs lost), Pleasant Hill Kmart (more than 50 jobs lost).

Colorado:  Broomfield Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Glenwood Springs Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Lone Tree Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Longmont Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Pueblos’ South Side Kmart (52 jobs lost).

Georgia: Macon Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Buford Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Douglasville Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Atlanta Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Columbus Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Jonesboro Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Cartersville Kmart (74 jobs lost).

Florida: Fernandina Beach Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Callaway Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Orange City Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost),  Deland Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Stuart Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), West Palm Beach Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Port St. Lucie Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Crystal River Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), New Smyrna Beach Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Saint Augustine Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Pompano Beach Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost),  Jacksonville Kmart on 5751 Beach Boulevard (71 jobs lost), second Kmart in Jacksonville on 4645 Blanding Boulevard (83 jobs lost), Ocoee Sears (102 jobs lost), Pensacola Kmart on Airport Boulevard closed in 2011, Pensacola Kmart on Mobile Highway to be closed by 03 February 2013 (69 jobs lost), and recently revealed Hialeah Kmart (67 jobs lost).

Idaho: Lewiston Sears (at least 60 jobs lost).

Indiana:  Anderson Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Saint John Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Indianapolis Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost).

Illinois:  Melrose Park Sears parts and repair center (50 jobs lost), Fairview Heights Kmart (81 jobs lost), Freeport Kmart (45 jobs lost), Pontiac Kmart (more than 47 jobs lost).

Iowa:  Cedar Rapids Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Davenport Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Burlington Kmart (50 jobs lost).

Kansas: Lawrence Sears (at least 40 jobs lost).

Kentucky: Middlesboro Sears Hard lines, Winchester Kmart, Hazard Kmart.

Maine: Lewiston Sears.

Maryland: Ellicott Sears Grand/Essentials.

Michigan: Brighton Sears Grand/Essentials,  Harper Woods Sears Full line, Monroe Sears Full line, Adrian Sears Full line, Washington Township Kmart, Chesterfield Kmart, Woodhaven Kmart.

Minnesota: Willmar Kmart, Duluth Kmart, New Hope Kmart, White Bear Lake Kmart.

Mississippi: Jackson Sears Full line, McComb Sears Full line, Columbus Sears Full line.

Missouri: Lee’s Summit Sears Grand/Essentials, Saint Louis Sears Full line.

Montana: Missoula Kmart.

New Hampshire: Nashau Sears Grand/Essentials, Keene Sears Grand/Essentials.

North Carolina: High Point Sears Full line, Moorehead Sears Full line, Rocky Mount Sears Full line, Statesville Sears Full line.

New Jersey:  Lawnside Kmart.

Ohio: Chagrin Falls Kmart, Springfield Kmart, two Toledo Kmarts, Medina Kmart, Columbus Kmart, Zanesville Sears (67 jobs lost), and recently revealed Trotwood Kmart (71 jobs lost).   Also, Van Wert Sears franchise bought out by Kirk Berryman, owner of Computer & Networking Technologies (CNT), who plans on moving the store to a new location.

Oregon: Roseburg Sears Full line.

Pennsylvania: Upper Darby Sears Full line, Pottstown Sears Full line, Pittsburgh Kmart, Wilkins Sears.

South Carolina: Sumter Sears, Orangeburg Sears (approximately 50 jobs lost).

Tennessee: Antioch Sears Full line, Cleveland Sears Full line, Oak Ridge Sears Full line, Hendersonville Kmart, Morristown Sears Full line.

Texas: Two Sears parts and repair centers closing in The Woodlands (117 jobs lost), rebuild center in Garland (58 jobs lost).

Virginia: Norfolk Sears Full line,  Midlothian Kmart, Richmond Kmart, Lynchburg Sears (84 jobs lost).

Washington: Walla Walla Sears Full line, Lacey Kmart, Kelso Sears, Lakewood Kmart (59 jobs lost), Bellingham Sears (92 jobs lost).

Wisconsin: West Baraboo Sears Grand/Essentials, Rice Lake Kmart.

On top of that, Sears Holdings sold stores to General Growth Properties, of which it has been reported that those stores will be closed.

It was recently announced that the Provo, Utah, store will continue operating as a Sears.  Sears Holdings announced that GGP made a lease deal they couldn’t refuse, so they will continue running the GGP owned store.

Here’s the list of 11 Sears stores now owned by GGP:

Iowa: Coral Ridge Mall, and Mall of the Bluffs

Texas: The Woodlands Mall

Florida: West Oaks Mall

Utah: Fashion Place, and Provo Towne Centre (note the evil British empire way of spelling town & center)

Oklahoma: Quail Springs Mall

Hawaii: Ala Moana Center

Washington: Bellis Fair Mall

Minnesota: Apache Mall

Illinois: Market Place Shopping Center

Business/Economics, Idaho, International, Technology, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? 3M says sales in the U.S. will continue to fall for years to come! Blames crashing solar power demand in U.S.!

“We will continue our Hefei project, which includes 12 big buildings. I believe, as a clean and stable energy, solar must be promising in the future. I don’t think the behavior of the EU and the U.S. is proper.”-Kenneth Yu, 3M China operations

31 October 2012, U.S. based 3M expects its U.S. sales to fall for the next five to ten years, and they expect China to become their number one market.

In their latest quarterly report, 3M showed a big jump in revenues from Canada and Latin America, up 10.5%.  The United States had increased sales of 2.3%. Sales in Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia were flat.  However, 3M officials think that over the next decade their sales will boom in China.

They say they will streamline their operations, with their consumer and office supplies division looking like it will be drastically cut due to flat profits.  3M will continue investing in future markets.

3M has already invested $1.2 billion USD in China since 1984.  For the next five years the corporation, formerly known as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, is investing $120 million in the solar power industry in China.

3M officials say global demand for solar power products are booming, and China is likely to become the center of the global solar power industry.

As an example of government incompetence, President Barack Obama, with support from the Republican controlled Congress, enacted outrageous tariffs on solar products from China.  It was the death blow to struggling Hoku Materials in Pocatello, Idaho.

The newly built polysilicon factory, in southeast Idaho, had locals hopeful that hundreds of desperately needed good paying jobs would be available.  Hoku’s contracts were with Chinese solar product companies that were directly affected by the tariffs.

Now it looks like U.S. based 3M is jumping ship for better shores in China.

Business/Economics, International, Technology

What Economic Recovery? Sharp projects record loss for 2012!

01 November 2012, yet another Japanese electronics maker announced they are losing money big time, and for the second year in a row.  Sharp predicts it will lose at least $5.6 billion USD by March 2013 (the end of the Japanese fiscal year)!

From April to September 2012 Sharp lost nearly $5 billion, 80% more than they originally predicted!  As other Japanese electronics makers, they blame crashing TV sales.

Sharp officials say they will now layoff 10,000 employees and sell assets.  They’ve also taken on a $4.6 billion bailout loan.

 

Business/Economics, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Businesses closed because of hurricane Sandy, will not get insurance coverage!

31 October 2012, just because a business has interruption insurance doesn’t mean they’ll get paid: “There has to be direct physical damage to the building in order for business interruption insurance to come into play.”-Loretta Worters, Insurance Information Institute

Thousands of small businesses were forced to close shop because of hurricane Sandy, but they did not suffer physical damage. This means not only are they losing money from lack of sales, but the money they paid for interruption insurance was wasted.

Also, businesses closed due to power outages or mandatory evacuation orders are not covered under interruption insurance: “I figured there’s probably an out for the insurance company, but I was hoping we’d be paid since the city had ordered everything to shut down, including the subways.”-Robert Wyatt, Lightspeed Express, found out his insurance won’t payout

And don’t forget, for most businesses there’s no such thing as flood insurance, unless it’s through the federal National Flood Insurance Program.

What this means is that many northeastern businesses will not be able to recovery financially!

Business/Economics, International, Technology, U.S.

World War 3 & What Economic Recovery? Japan to suspend elections to avoid fiscal cliff? Part of IMF’s fiscal consolidation order? Growing regional disputes with China?

“We shouldn’t create at will a political vacuum that would cause policies to stall.”-Yoshihiko Noda, Prime Minister of Japan, 29 October 2012

The “political vacuum” the Prime Minister is talking about concerns his loss of political power: “Noda wants to delay the day of reckoning as long as possible. Who would call an election now knowing that over 100 parliament seats would be lost, putting the party on the brink of collapse?”-Harumi Arima, political analyst

Noda is using the now catastrophic Japanese economy as an excuse not to dissolve the Lower House of Parliament: “If the situation is left as it is, administrative services could stall, which would seriously affect people’s livelihoods and thwart efforts to revive the economy.”-Yoshihiko Noda, Prime Minister of Japan, 29 October 2012

Dissolving the Lower House is a necessary step in Japan, before elections can be held.

The above statements were made two days ago. Today, 31 October 2012, Noda confronted critics, saying he will decide when the time is right for elections, and the time will be right only when the economic situation is properly addressed: “I will make a decision on the dissolution after doing some necessary tasks and preparing responses to the economic situation.”-Yoshihiko Noda, Prime Minister of Japan, 31 October 2012

Just how bad is the economy in Japan?  For one, the Japanese government has more debt than the Greek government.

For two, Japanese companies are experiencing huge drops in sales, so much so that tens of thousands of Japanese have lost their jobs in the past year alone.

For three: “The situation is worse than we had expected earlier, and we have a severe outlook for the second half. Digital consumer businesses such as TV, cameras, Blu-ray disc players and PCs worsened faster than we had expected three months ago.”-Hideaki Kawai, CFO Panasonic

For four: “We don’t see when bad news will stop coming out.”-Kazuyuki Terao, Allianz Global Investors Japan Co.

Prime Minister Noda stated today, that before elections could be held he wanted policies passed that would issue debt covering bonds, drastically change the retirement program for Japanese, and other additional economic austerity measures by the end of November.  These are inline with what the International Monetary Fund ordered just days ago.

Noda also admitted that he wanted the right environment to correct the disparity in Lower House, meaning he wanted to make sure his political party got most of the seats!

Delaying elections is also about maintaining regional power, with the backing of the United States.

Two days ago Noda mentioned growing disputes between China, Russia and Korea, South: “Achieving relationships of trust with surrounding countries such as China, South Korea and Russia, with a comprehensive view, strengthens the foundations on which Japan and the whole region enjoy peace and prosperity. It is one of the grave responsibilities a country has to fulfill.”

Business/Economics, International, Technology

What Economic Recovery? Panasonic predicts more massive losses! Suspends dividend payments for first time! Chairman cuts his own pay by 40%!

31 October 2012, one of Japan’s electronics giants, Panasonic, announced massive losses by the end of their fiscal year.

Panasonic officials say they expect to have suffered a net loss of more than $9 billion USD by March 2013!   They already lost $8.6 billion from April to September 2012!

For the first time in 62 years it is suspending dividend payments to stockholders!  Company officials say they are now forced to “restructure unprofitable operations”.  That’s industry code for shut factories down and lay people off (they already laid off 39,000 people in 2011!).  But unlike greedy unAmerican Corporate America leaders, the boss of Panasonic said he was cutting his own pay by 40%!

Just like other Japanese electronics makers, Panasonic blames the huge losses on crashing TV and camera sales.  Panasonic lost $9.7 billion in 2011!

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Germany says economy worse than they thought! Greece tells IMF they can not make anymore compromises! IMF pushes for U.S. consolidation, code for even more drastic deleveraging! Oil prices to crash!

“We are talking about the things that still need to be solved and here it became clear that the global economy’s risks are very evident, as is clearly stated in the communiqué. The economic growth outlooks are not as good as we would hope.”-Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany

The German leader made the statement on 30 October 2012, after reading a report from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, World Trade Organization, International Labour Organization, International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

The IMF boss, Christine Lagarde, admitted that economic growth will be pathetic: “I would characterize the situation as that of a laborious recovery out of the financial crisis through some degree of stabilization by way of tepid growth.” 

The IMF also pushed developed economies to further consolidate their fiscal policies. This is another way of saying government deleveraging (typically in the form of austerity) should be increased.

(deleveraging began for individuals and small businesses with the 2008 Credit Crisis/Crunch. It’s one of the causes behind all the Sears & Kmart store closings in the U.S.)

The IMF is specifically targeting the United States, saying the U.S. needs a credible fiscal consolidation plan, implemented “at an appropriate pace” in order to stabilize a “fragile” world economy.

Just two days ago, the IMF, along with European lenders, told Greece that they could not provide anymore financing unless more drastic changes were made, such as drastic changes in Greece’s labor/wage laws.  The Greek coalition government is showing signs that it would rather default than make anymore compromises.

The paradox is that while world economic organizations want increased deleveraging of individuals, small businesses and governments, they also want employment to somehow increase and people to somehow spend more money buying stuff they don’t need (domestic consumption)!

And it’s not just developed countries being told to axe their government spending, even oil rich Arab countries are being told to do the same: “A rapid deterioration in the global economy could bring about developments similar to what the region experienced in 2009, including a sharp fall in oil prices and disruptions to capital flows.”-IMF

The IMF explained that as the world economy worsens, demand for oil is going to drop to such lows that the the six Gulf Cooperation Council economies of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain could experience an economic crash.

The IMF projects that the price of oil could drop by $30 USD per barrel in 2013, and continue dropping!  This might sound like good news, but it’s because people won’t have the money to buy it at any price!

 

Idaho, U.S.

Presidential emergency declarations made BEFORE hurricane Sandy hit the U.S.? Just because you live outside the hurricane zone doesn’t mean your state isn’t under a federal disaster declaration.

A Los Angeles Times article points out that the emergency declarations made by President Barack Obama, regarding New York and New Jersey (due to hurricane Sandy), were made without truly assessing the situation.

You can go to the FEMA website, and check out the disaster declarations.

Also, FEMA has a map which shows that at least 27 states are currently under some kind of Active Disaster declaration. Some of those involve flooding, some wildfires, some tornadoes.

States currently on the Active Disaster list: Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia,  Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and the District of Columbia (aka Washington DC).

U.S.

FEMA boss confirms possibility of canceled Presidential elections! Republican governor of New Jersey is fine with it! Congress made plans back in 2004!

“We are anticipating that, based on the storm, there could be impacts that would linger into next week and have impacts on the federal election.”-Craig Fugate, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 30 October 2012 press conference

“I don’t give a damn about Election Day! It doesn’t matter a lick to me. At the moment I’ve got much bigger fish to fry.”-Chris Christie, governor of New Jersey, 30 October 2012 press conference

I posted about FEMA suggesting, yesterday, to delay or cancel the elections.  Today, FEMA director Craig Fugate confirmed such a possibility during a press conference.

Also, Republican governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie, bluntly stated that his hands were full dealing with the disaster, and implied that if FEMA wanted elections delayed or canceled then so be it.  He also heaped praise upon President Obama.

Here’s what Congress had to say, back in 2004, about such a situation: “It would appear that under Congress’ express constitutional authority over the timing of federal elections it could enact a federal law setting conditions, times and dates for rescheduling of elections to federal offices in the States in emergency or other exigent circumstances, and with the proper standards and guidelines could delegate the execution and application of those provisions to executive branch or State officials.”-CSR Report for Congress: Postponement and Rescheduling of Elections to Federal Office

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Too Big to Fail bank revises planned layoffs, upward by the thousands!

30 October 2012, Swiss banking giant, UBS, announced a major change in its plans to cut employees; they now want to layoff 10,000 workers worldwide!

Last year UBS announced they would layoff 3,000 employees, but because the too big to fail bank has been losing money from its investment operations, they’ve now upped it to 10,000.

UBS employees in Stamford, in the U.S. state of Connecticut, will make up the majority of those laid off.

Of course (and more proof that unAmerican Corporate America/Europe is behind the economic disaster) stock investors loved the announcement, and drove up UBS stock prices in European stock markets with frenzied buying (I’m sure the same thing would be happening on Wall Street if it wasn’t for the hurricane).