Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:

California: Once again Boeing issued several WARNs, this time at least 94 people will be laid off by the end of April.  Due to the hostile take over by Cerberus Albertsons, Safeway issued several more WARNs saying at least 132 people will lose their jobs in Pleasanton and Dublin.  In San Diego more job destruction; DialAmerica issued a WARN saying they’re shutting down their factory by May, 227 jobs lost!  Midland Credit issued a WARN saying 40 people will be laid off in May.  Active Network issued a layoff WARN saying 53 people will become jobless at the beginning of May.  In Los Angeles, is Obama Care behind the layoff of 15 employees at the Bienvenidos Children Center?  The WARN only says the layoffs will take place in April.  In Torrance, Japanese CD maker Panasonic issued a WARN saying they will shut down their disk factory by the end of April, at least 87 jobs lost.  In Pittsburg, steel maker USS-POSCO issued a WARN saying they must “temporarily” shutdown their factory at the end of April, at least 666 jobs lost!  In Valencia, Better Bakery issued a layoff WARN for April, 45 jobs lost.  In San Francisco, RealPage issued a shutdown WARN for April, 89 jobs lost.  In Shafter, more Baker Hughes oil employees getting the shaft as 50 were rendered jobless without warning.  Don’t blame oil prices, blame the take over by Halliburton.  In Vernon, V&L Produce issued a layoff WARN saying 87 people will be laid off by the end of April.  Palo Alto based Hewlett Packard (HP) announced it will kill off even more jobs, just as soon as it’s done killing off 55-thousand jobs currently!  It’s part of the company’s plans to be split into two separate entities.  Maker of revolutionary Light Field Cameras, Lytro is reportedly laying off 50 employees, apparently because the successful company is shifting focus to internet-social media and video.

Colorado: Lakewood based Einstein Bros Bagels announced it will shutdown 39 stores across the United States, apparently due to lack of sales: “After careful evaluation, Einstein Noah Restaurant Group, Inc. (“ENRGI”) has come to the difficult decision to close 39 underperforming restaurants, effective Tuesday, February 24, 2015.” 

Connecticut: Ohio based grocery store XPect Discounts announced it will shutdown all remaining stores in The Constitution State by the end of 2015!  Local news reports say no ‘official’ reason was given.  In Southbury, after 12 years the owners of Koenig Art Emporium announced they will shutdown in March saying “as the economy has dictated.”

Florida: Another women’s clothing operation going down; local news reports say Fort Myers based Chico’s is about to layoff huge numbers of employees due to the failure to find a buyer.  120 stores will be shutdown by 2017, with a minimum of 240 jobs lost! Company administrators blame an “unexpected” jump in operating costs, and blames bad sales on those evil fickle female shoppers.

Illinois: In Naperville, the Hollywood Palms Theater is now chapter 11 bankrupt busted and up for sale.  The owner was recently arrested and charged with fraud and tax evasion.

Indiana: ModusLink issued a WARN saying 320 people will become jobless in April!  Administrators say they lost a major client.

Massachusetts:   It may have survived the Marathon bombing but it can’t survive the Boston Weak economy; the iconic FORUM Bar & Restaurant shutdown, the owner blames evil property owners for killing it off: “After the tragic events of the 2013 Boston Marathon….four long months of reconstruction…bureaucracy…the current real estate climate on Boylston Street has motivated FORUM’s landlord to raise rent…nearly three times our current rate…makes it financially impossible…”

Michigan: In Mount Morris, after 43 years meijer department and grocery store shutdown. Administrators basically said the sales were not high enough to justify renewing the lease. News reports say the building will be torn down, but no other info was available, 190 jobs lost!   In Port Huron, after more than ten years the Backyard Soaps and Candles retail outlet shutdown.  The owners blamed the bad economy saying “The shop was losing so much money…we didn’t get enough foot traffic.”  The soap maker still sells over the internet.

Missouri: Toys R Us is shutting down their Ferguson store in March, 36 jobs lost.  The property is up for sale.

Nebraska: Italy-Netherlands based New Holland farm equipment maker CNH Industrial announced they will layoff 136 U.S. citizens at their Grand Island factory by the end of July!  Company administrators blame the bad global economy for crashing sales.

Nevada: In Reno, after 11 years the Tronix Nightclub shutdown, blaming “a huge drop in sales and customer’s support”.

New Jersey:  After 65 years the Surflight Theater now chapter 7 bankrupt busted and dead.  The operators blame years of bad sales and a 2012 fire followed by damage caused by Hurricane Sandy.  In 2014 they tried to raise money through private donations, but failed.  Pennsylvania based arena operator Aramark announced that more than 17-hundred jobs will be lost when they shutdown the Izod Center after March!  Administrators blame crashing ticket sales.

New York:  Sears Holdings issued a WARN saying they will shutdown their Bay Shore Product Rebuild Center in May, 134 jobs lost!   Internet based real estate company Trulia issued a WARN saying they will layoff a small number of employees by August, it’s connected to the hostile takeover by internet based Zwillow.  Peninsula Counseling Center issued a WARN saying they will shutdown their Valley Stream Article 31 Clinic in April, 77 jobs lost (is Obama Care to blame?).   Too Big to Jail Community National Bank issued a WARN relating to their 2014 sale to Bridgehampton National Bank (aka Bridge Bankcorp), more than 1-hundred jobs could be lost by May!  Too Big to Jail Bank of America announced that 53 people will become unemployed as they shutdown their Jericho mortgage office.  In NYC owner of Comedy Central and MTV, Viacom is warning of massive layoffs, blaming crashing ratings.  Too Big to Jail JP Morgan Chase announced they will shutdown 3-hundred offices over the next two years, blaming new rules penalizing big banks for having large uninsured accounts.

North Carolina: Charlotte Marriott City Center hotel laid off 68 people, blaming remodeling work.  In Charlotte, famous chef Emeril announced he is shutting down his e2 emeril’s eatery and e2GO in April: “The restaurant was never able to achieve the volume projected…”-facebook statement

Pennsylvania:   O’Hara based Giant Eagle owned Good Cents Grocery shutting down all eight stores in Pennsylvania and Ohio, in March. Administrators with Giant Eagle blamed the bad economy for the failure of their Good Cents Grocery chain. Some of the Good Cents Grocery stores had been open for only one year, replacing Valu King stores! Each store has about 35 employees.   Noble Energy announced it is shutting down it’s 83 years old Ardmore office, 125 jobs lost!  Company administrators blame the volatile oil industry, and also warned they will consolidate their Texas ops saying “by the end of April, folks will know whether they do or don’t have a position”.

Rhode Island: Obama Care destroys 41 jobs at the Women & Infants Hospital. Work hours for other employees are being reduced.  Local news reports referred to Obama Care as a “challenging healthcare environment”.

Texas: Oil field company Tenaris announced it will shutdown its Conroe ops by April, 230 jobs lost! But wait, don’t blame it all on oil prices, company administrators say the main reason is “Record levels of unfairly traded imports of OCTG (oil country tubular goods) from South Korea…”  In Waco, aircraft company L-3 laid off 115 people!  Company administrators blamed “reduced volume of work”.

Washington: Reports that student travel company People to People laid off about 50 people in Spokane.  Local news reports say company administrators refuse to comment.  At one point the company had 2-hundred employees but is apparently down to just 50 after this latest round of layoffs.  The owner of Boat Street Cafe says she will shut it down in May, she still has two other restaurants.  Redmond based Microsoft announced it will shutdown two factories in China by the end of March, killing off 9-thousand jobs!

19 – 22 February 2015: “It absolutely killed us…”

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

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.

Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:

Arizona: Local news media claiming the biggest employer in the Grand Canyon State, Asarco mining company, will layoff 160 people  in Pinal and Gila counties!  Asarco administrators blame the layoffs on an 80% crash in the price of copper.

California:  Iconic Frederick’s of Hollywood announced it must shutdown at least 31 stores across the U.S., including their original store in Hollywood!  Company administrators warned more stores could be shuttered saying “These stores should have been closed years ago.”   Safeway grocery chain issued a WARN saying another 213 jobs will be lost in April! Blame Cerberus Albertsons for the hostile takeover of Safeway.  In Los Angeles, after getting $24-million USD from ailing Warner Brothers, and claiming to be seeking to hire 15 people, internet video game company Machinima laid off 13 employees.  San Diego based taxsucking military contractor Cubic Corporation is combining two ops in order to cut $17-million, at least 150 people will be laid off!

Colorado: Lakewood based Einstein Bros Bagels announced it will shutdown 39 stores across the United States, apparently due to lack of sales: “After careful evaluation, Einstein Noah Restaurant Group, Inc. (“ENRGI”) has come to the difficult decision to close 39 underperforming restaurants, effective Tuesday, February 24, 2015.” 

Hawaii: A month after shutting down their Kihei, Kona and Hilo stores, Hilo Hattie declared chapter 11 bankruptcy, for the second time in seven years.  The new owners blame the bad economy saying “…our plan was finding a retail footprint that fit today’s market, and that has proven elusive.”  The lease on their Nimitz store is now for sale.

Louisiana: The Pelican State’s Secretary of State Tom Schedler said he is laying off 24 museum employees and reducing operating hours for state run museums in April.  A special election is being postponed until October.  It’s part of a plan to cut state spending by $61-million.  Politicians are blaming crashing tax revenues from the petroleum industry caused by ‘low’ oil prices.

Massachusetts: In Tauton, the last old school silversmith,  191 years old (surviving the Long Depression, Civil War, Great deflationary Depression and numerous recessions) Reed & Barton now chapter 11 bankrupt busted and shutting down in June!  The CEO said insurance industry written Obamacare was the final straw as it caused their employee retirement plan costs to skyrocket to as much as $18-million per year: “It absolutely killed us….We hung on as long as we could…it’s been all-consuming for the past year and half.”-Tim Riddle

Nebraska:  After 37 years, the new owner of Duggan’s Pub (formerly Sam’s Pub) announced it will be shutdown in March. The new owner is a property developer.

New Jersey: Camden based iconic soup maker Cambells announced it will begin massive job destruction in order to cut $200-million over the next three years. For proof there is no economic recovery, company administrators say company profits have been crashing steadily since 2008, with no end in sight: “Like other companies in our industry, we’re contending with now not just the long term impact of the Great Recession on consumer purchasing behavior, or the increasingly complex public dialog when it comes to food, or the regulatory environment for food.”-Denise Morrison, ceo

New York:  In NYC and Jericho, Too Big to Jail Bank of America Global Tech issued a WARN saying 88 people will become unemployed in May.  Too Big to Jail Capital One announced it will shutdown its Jamesport office in April, admitting the economy is so bad it is forcing them to work “as efficiently as possible”.   Advertising company Leo Burnett announced they will join the exodus from New York and shutdown their NYC office in order to focus on “the broader global network.”

Ohio: In Mansfield, School Specialty revealed it had laid off an undisclosed number of employees last week, this after they claimed to be investing $7-million into a new school supply warehouse.

Pennsylvania: Comcast cable company shutting down three service centers sometime after the first of April.  Customers who walk in their payments in Dallas, Duryea and Scranton will have to find another way to make their payments.  No indication how many jobs will be lost, but Comcast says the shutdowns are precisely because fewer people have been making their payments in person.

Tennessee: A 2014 University of Memphis study stated that only seven of the 77 low income areas of the city have full service grocery stores, now that might be down to six; a Kroger Food & Drugs on the 4000 block of American Way shutdown with short notice and without explaining why.  In Rogersville after 63 years the city’s only furniture-appliances store, Otis Home Center, shutdown.  The third generation owners blame recent battles with cancer: “One thing my father told me shortly before he passed away was, ‘Phillip if you want to travel and see the world and go on some trips…..you need to do it before you get in the shape I am and can’t go nowhere.'”-Phillip Henard

Texas: Marathon Oil announced they will layoff as many as 4-hundred mainly “above-the-field and support services personnel” by the end of 2015!  France based petroleum equipment maker Technip reduced its fleet of Texas based oil service ships from 36 down to 21. It’s part of the company’s 18-hundred job cuts worldwide!  Norway based oil service company Aker Solutions issued a warning from its Houston office saying “As we see it today, these challenges will continue through 2015 and possibly also into 2016.”  Their first action to deal with the “challenges” is to layoff 3-hundred people in their home country of Norway!  Will their ops in Texas be next?   Baker Hughes laid off 58 people at its Kilgore ops. Don’t blame oil prices, blame the takeover by Halliburton, one clue is that Baker Hughes told city administrators that the layoffs were “permanent”.

Vermont: In Burlington, the owners of Apple Mountain gift store shut it down saying “Unfortunately, the costs associated with running a locally owned business here has outpaced our means. We will truly miss you.”   Taxsucking military armor supplier Plasan announced they will shutdown their Bennington ops in July, 62 full-time jobs lost: “Unfortunately, economic realities in the defense industry have forced us to consolidate our facility in Michigan.”

Wisconsin: In Greenfield, after more than 30 years Naked Furniture will shutdown at the end of April.  The owner says the store was profitable but sales have been steadily crashing and he wants to get out while he’s ahead: “There’s money here and there’s profit here, but the future is a question.”-Eric Lois

17 – 18 February 2015: “It’s all over!”

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

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.

Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:

California: The day after I wrote that state Employment Development Department stopped posting WARNs, BOOM, now there’s a whole lotta new WARNs posted! Apparently a lot of companies were late in notifying state administrators about their layoffs and shutdowns! In Santa Monica, International Coffee & Tea issued a WARN saying they will shutdown in April, 69 jobs lost.  At Los Angeles International Airport, Menzies Aviation issued a WARN saying 134 people will become jobless in April!  In Palo Alto, Hewlett Packard revealed they laid off another 52 employees.  In San Diego, United Technologies issued a WARN saying at least four employees will be laid off in April.  Also in San Diego, EverQuest maker Daybreak Game finally issued a WARN revealing they will kill 140 jobs in April! In Novato, Fireman’s Fund Insurance issued a WARN saying they laid off 23 people. In Foothill Ranch, legal drugs pusher Pfizer issued a WARN saying they will shutdown in May, 70 jobs lost.  Mitt Romney’s evil Massachusetts based wunderkind Staples issued several WARNs saying they will shutdown in La Mirada and Los Angeles by the end of April, more than 200 jobs lost!  Food and coffee supplier Farmer Brothers issued a WARN saying they will shutdown in Torrance, 271 jobs lost by May!  In Korbel, Washington based Green Diamond Resource issued a shutdown WARN for April, at least 12 jobs lost. In San Ramon, AT&T issued a WARN saying 74 people will be laid off in April.  In Vista, free PennySaver newspaper issued a shutdown WARN for April, 131 jobs lost!  In Truckee, Marriott hotels issued a shutdown WARN for April, 259 jobs lost! In Chico, what automotive industry recovery?  Courtesy Motors issued a shutdown WARN for April, 91 jobs lost.  Obama Care forcing El Centro Medical Center to issue a WARN saying 20 people will be laid off in April. In San Pablo, Obama Care forcing Doctors Medical Center to issue a shutdown WARN for April, 709 jobs lost!  In San Francisco, VPM Maintenance issued a WARN saying they’re laying off 35 people in April.  Also in San Francisco, Marriott hotels issued a layoff WARN for April, 24 people will be laid off.  In Compton, Nabors Completion & Production issued a WARN saying 136 people will become jobless in April!  In Willmington, joint Norway-Sweden based Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics issued a WARN saying 96 people will be laid off in April.  In Fresno, historic Tailspin Tommy’s Aerodrome Eatery shutdown, local news media said “money ran out”.  Taxsucking military contractor DynCorp International issued several WARNS saying they are shutting down ops in El Centro and San Diego in March, 93 jobs lost.  More proof you can’t blame the internet for crashing sales at brick-n-mortar stores; Sunnyvale based Yahoo eliminated about 200 jobs in Canada and California!  It’s assumed most of the layoffs were in Canada becasue Yahoo never submitted the required WARN in California.  Back in September Yahoo shutdown their Carslbad ops, eliminating 59 Golden State jobs.  The job culling is the result of Yahoo taking over numerous smaller competitors/start-ups.   In Auburn, after 40 years Mountain Mama clothing store shutdown.  The owner thinks by shifting to internet only sales she’ll be able to stay a float.

Connecticut: God refuses to stop the shutdown of ‘his’ Saint John Paul II School.  Christian officials officially blame lack of money, but one parent thinks it’s a conspiracy: “I don’t think the entire truth is here because it’s NOT about money!”– Ewald Kuchciak, who pointed out that Christian students are being forced into a smaller school building

Delaware: In Bethany Beach, the Harris Teeter grocery store shutdown, 39 jobs lost.  This comes after company administrators said they were going to expand the grocery chain.

Kansas: The owner of The Great Mall of the Great Plains announced they must shut it down by Autumn 2015!  They blame the bad economy.

New York: Cayman Islands based Caledonian Bank now bankrupt busted because the U.S. federal court froze their assets with Northern Trust International Banking and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney.  The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission says the bank was improperly registering corporations.

North Carolina: What housing market recovery? Bank of America Mortgage laying off 250 people in Charlotte!  Apparently that’s on top of the 540 layoffs announced back in June 2014!

Ohio: More Obama Care cuts! The Youngstown Developmental Center is being shutdown by 2017, at least 500 jobs lost!  It’s part of the massive shutdown being done by the Department of Developmental Disabilities, who blamed crashing government funding and a crashing population.  An ‘elected’ representative was upset: “… I, intend, as a state legislator, to hold the governor accountable.”-Michele Lepore-Hagan

Pennsylvania: Conshohocken based Saladworks now chapter 11 bankrupt busted and up for sale. Administrators claim the bankruptcy shouldn’t affect their more 100 restaurants. The bankruptcy is blamed on internal fighting between top brass.  The  Carnegie Museum of Art revealed they must eliminate seven jobs, but also said they must consolidate other jobs.   Sears Holdings announced they’re shutting down their 38 years old East Towne Mall Kmart in May, 51 jobs lost.

Tennessee:  In Nashville, after 16 years Curious Heart Emporium shutdown.  The owner blamed the bad economy.

Texas: Fort Worth based oil exploration company Quicksilver Resources joins the massive job killing by announcing they will layoff 10% of their employees in the U.S. and Canada.  Company administrators blame crashing oil prices for reducing the demand for oil exploration.

Vermont: The gov’na warned of more than 4-hundred state level job cuts if the state employees refuse to accept massive pay cuts!  It was also revealed that taxes might be raised in order to pay for increased health insurance costs caused by Obama Care!  In Montpelier, after more than 25 years Downstairs Video shutdown. The owner admitted his store was able to survive for so long “Because the broadband in this surrounding area is so bad…”

Virginia: In Martinsville, the owners of 50 years old Snow’s Sandwich Shop say the bad economy is forcing them to shutdown at the end of March, unless somebody loaded with cash can take it over. In Arlington Heights, Panera Bread shutdown: “For 15 years, the Panera Bread bakery-cafe on Evergreen Street has been privileged to serve our neighbors in downtown Arlington Heights. With the expiration of our lease, we have decided to close this location on Feb. 24 at 6 p.m.” 

Washington: More proof you can’t blame the internet for stealing business from brick-n-mortars! Internet based ‘organic’ food promoter Farmstr shutdown. Ignorant company administrators blamed competitors like California based GoodEggs, which if you read my January 2015 Food Crisis report you’ll see even GoodEggs is in trouble! In other words, it’s the overall bad economy not competition.

11 – 12 February 2015: “…it’s coming to an end.”

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.