Incomplete list of U.S. job loss announcements and shutdowns.

Arizona: Despite reporting better than expected revenues, Phoenix based mining company Freeport-McMoRan says it will go ahead with plans to layoff 25% of its petoleum sector employees and sell-off assets.  Freeport-McMoRan’s ‘better than expected’ results were a loss of $4.18-billion USD for the first three months of 2016!  It’s blamed on the low prices of oil, gas, gold, silver, copper, etc.

California: Intel issued several WARNs, at least 565 jobs across The Golden State gone between now and 2017, due to crashing computer sales!  Insiders are reporting that Apple has laid off all its employee recruiters, more than 1-hundred employees!  Recruiting bonuses were also slashed from 40% to only 10%.  In Berkeley, Sutter Health shutting down their Alta Bates Summit ER operations.  But wait, don’t blame ObamaCare on this one.  It’s the result of a 1994 state regulation (SB 1953) requiring hospitals to meet tougher earthquake survival standards, by 2030.

Kentucky:  In Louisville, after 73 years grocery store First Link now up for auction.  The grocery section is shutdown, but the Liquor Store ops will continue until the auction, which is mid-May.  I have yet to find info as to why it’s being auctioned (other than the company needs the money).

Maine: After 110 years (surviving The Great [deflationary] Depression and numerous recessions) the last of the Brooks Brick factories is shutting down.  News reports say they were down to a “handful of employees”.  In Portland, Mercy Hospital shutting down its outpatient addiction treatment center this Friday.  It’s blamed on ObamaCare reduction in funding.  Mercy is joining with other organizations, including local police, in forming the Greater Portland Addiction Collaborative as a way to provide addiction recovery services for those with little or no health insurance.

Massachusetts:  Baystate Health is demanding $10-million taxpayer dollars to avert the layoff of 2-hundred people, due to ObamaCare.  Administrators say that’s just for starters, calling it “bridge funding”, if the ObamaCare situation continues then additional taxpayer funding will be needed!

New Jersey: British empire United Kingdom and Netherlands based Unilever issued a WARN for their Englewood Cliffs operations, 106 jobs gone by the end of June!  It was also revealed that Unilever is getting almost free money from the European Central Bank, as the ECB bought $339-million USD worth of Unilever bonds, at a piddly 0.08% interest.   The “consumer goods” company is also shutting down a call center in Canada.

New York: Iconic New York Times announced it will shutdown its Paris, France, printing ops. 70 jobs lost due to consolidation of operations.  Despite reporting a ‘strong’ first quarter, elitist clothier Coach announced it will eliminate 3-hundred jobs!  Even though Coach made its first quarterly profit in the past three years administrators say they must become more “efficient” by 2017.

Oregon: California based Intel issued a mass layoff WARN, 784 jobs gone by the end of May!

Pennsylvania: It’s been revealed that Texas based petroleum contractor Halliburton secretly laid off 2-hundred employees near Montgomery, last week!  In a fine example of what I call Ripple Effect Layoffs (REL), the impact is immediate as locals are reporting that mom-n-pop shops in Montgomery are already shutting down: “The layoffs are hurting people and its hurting our economy.  A lot of store fronts are closing up and small business people can’t survive. Its not a good thing.”-Allen Bean, resident

“Its hurt us financially, when you have a large company like Halliburton pull out of an area and let a lot of people go it’s a lot of lost revenue.”-Rick Sanguedolce, owner of Riverside Campground

Vermont: Ski resorts Jay Peak and Q Burke Mountain forced to shutdown due to a federal fraud investigation.  The owners of the ski resorts are being accused of frauding investors out of $200-million USD!

Washington: California based Intel shutting down its DuPont location (according to the mayor of DuPont), killing 350 jobs!   DuPont Mayor Michael Courts says Intel administrators did not tell him when the plant would shutdown.   In Browns Point, after 24 years the Ace Hardware shutting down sometime next month: “Business has gotten a little bit quiet. The cost of business has gone up. The amount of money it takes day-to-day; we are just not able to make that number. We’re down 15% over the year. It just never came back after the recession. The years 1991 to 1996 were the best brick-n-mortar retail years.”-Mark Wenner, owner

Washington DC:  After 41 years Bistro Français shutting down so the owner can retire.   What housing market recovery?  The U.S. Department of Commerce reporting that new homes sales have fallen for three months in a row (January to March).  Declining new home sales are falling fastest in the western United States.  The U.S. Navy is shutting down 16 Navy College offices in October.  The Navy hopes to save money by consolidating College offices onto the internet, and eliminating soon to become redundant jobs.

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

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.”

Incomplete list of U.S. job loss announcements and shutdowns.

Arizona: More proof higher education is a waste of your time and money; the state Department of Administration says the fastest growing sector of the Grand Canyon State’s job market (by 27.7%) are jobs that don’t even require a high school education!   The next biggest job sector is that which requires only a high school diploma.  You should note that the ‘elected’ state leaders have been focusing job promotion on sectors that require higher education.  The city of Nogales is bemoaning the planned shutdown of the money making Kmart in July.  It’s a money making store because the city collects boo-koo sales tax off it, and city managers don’t know what they’re going to do after the Big Kmart (it’s also sells groceries) shuts down!  The Big Kmart is a money maker because many of its customers are Mexicans who shop on the U.S. side of the border, because the variety is better in the U.S. than in Mexico. Christopher Teal, U.S. Consul General in Nogales, Mexico, said “They’re shopping, they’re at the malls, they’re out buying, they’re out doing activities. It has a huge impact for our economy in Arizona and our economy in the United States, I can’t speak positively enough really about that part of the relationship.”  In other words, Sears Holdings’ Eddie Lampert is shutting down a profit making international store!

California: In Milpitas, family owned Raley’s is shutting down their 28 years old Nob Hill Foods grocery store by the end of May.  50 jobs lost due to lack of sales, Raley’s administrators say they wanted to shutdown their Milpitas location three years ago.

Colorado: In Denver, Firefly Furnishings shutting down their Firefly Kids store in the Cherry Creek North plaza.  No reason given.  Firefly Furniture got new owners in 2014 who told local news media they wanted a brick-n-mortar operation to complement their internet business pillow.com.

Connecticut: Norwalk based Xerox revealed it eliminated 4-thousand 8-hundred jobs in the first quarter of 2016!  Xerox has been slashing jobs since 1991.

Hawaii: In Hilo, after almost 65 years food joint Kawate Seed Shop shutting down this weekend.  The family owners blame the landlord for jacking up the rent!

Illinois:  In Chicago, after 34 years Bel-Port Liquors forced to shut  down by the greedy landlord who made a better deal with a coffee shop: “I’m losing everything. ….This is what puts food on my table.  All of a sudden, he [landlord] turned 360 degrees on me! I’ve never seen him like this before.”-Joe Barbari, liquor store owner who says rents everywhere are too high for him to open a new store

Indiana: It’s been revealed that the Castleton Perkins restaurant was forced to shutdown by the greedy landlord, who then tore it down for ‘new development’: “We did everything we possibly could to talk them into letting us stay, but the landlords had other ideas. Our lease was up in February, and we were forced to closed.”-Gail VonHolten, former restaurant owner

Maine: The British empire’s christian Salvation Army shutting down their 102 years old (surviving The Great [deflationary] Depression and numerous recessions) Alder Street Family Thrift in Portland, calling the shutdown “the most responsible choice.”  

Massachusetts: In Burlington, Texas based jungle themed Rainforest Cafe shutting down.  Local news sources think it’s being replaced with a furniture store.

New York: Insiders and union members are reporting that iconic New York Times will eliminate “hundreds” of jobs by November!   This comes after the CEO of New York Times saw his income skyrocket to $8.7-million USD last year!

Ohio: Columbus based restaurant chain Bob Evans conducting a second round of mass restaurant shutdowns.  Last year they shutdown 20 eateries, this year it’ll be 27 with at least 1-thousand 1-hundred jobs lost!  The overwhelming majority of those restaurants being shutdown are ‘owned properties’ of Bob Evans and the plan is to try and raise $20-million USD by selling them.  State ‘elected’ leaders are giving five companies big tax breaks to bring in a piddly 444 jobs (some companies will only have to maintain their current employment levels).  The five companies are Ball Metal Food Containers, Genco, Everything but the House, Rotex Global and SportsBrain.

Texas: Halliburton revealed it eliminated 6-thousand oil industry jobs in the first quarter of 2016!  Schlumberger revealed it eliminated 2-thousand 5-hundred petroleum industry jobs in the first quarter of 2016!

Washington DC:  The tax-draining U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is asking for permission to conduct yet another round of base shutdowns.  Leadership with the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force now claim they have more posts (bases) than they really need!  But wait, don’t think this is going to save taxpayers money, the DoD wants to use the money saved by shutting down bases, and laying off thousands more personnel, on buying even more outrageously expensive high-tech weapons (like robots to replace human personnel).

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

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.”

Incomplete list of job loss announcements and shutdowns.

Alabama: In Huntsville, after 20 years the Tai Pan Palace restaurant shutting down on Sunday.

California: More proof you brick-n-mortar store owners can’t directly blame the internet/high-tech for your demise; San Louis Obispo based e-commerce company Kibo (Shopatron) suddenly laid off an undisclosed number of people (reports vary from eight to 25), blaming it on Kibo’s merger with two other e-commerce companies.  The A-Hole nazi Oceanside city administrators want to shutdown iconic Municipal Pier at night, claiming it’s because of ‘security’ issues caused by the increasing number of homeless people using the pier as a place to sleep.  Local fisherman Roger Adams calls bullshit on the city’s plans saying “It makes zero sense. I come here everyday. There is nothing that bad that it warrants closing the pier.”  Here’s an idea for Oceanside, why not create a better economy so there aren’t so many homeless people?   In North Oakland, after 90 years (surviving The Great [deflationary] Depression and numerous recessions) Genova Delicatessen shutting down by the end of the month, due to disagreements over the rent: “We’ve always felt the prices should be reasonable and the food really good quality which we have been able to manage, but the cost of doing business is to the point now where it became uncomfortable.”-Patti DeVincenzi

Idaho: Yet another hospital manager is condemning Idaho’s version of ObamaCare; Your Health Idaho.  Michael Baumann, of the Mountain Division of the Hospital Corporation of America, said “…those who are not getting the care that they need, by the time they show up, it’s even more costly. So why don’t we provide the access up front through Medicaid expansion?     ….You know I’m actually fairly conservative, but when it comes to healthcare…..I’m just really open to the fact we need change.”

Louisiana:  Oklahoma based Helmerich & Payne shutting down Gulf of Mexico oil rig operations after contracts were canceled, 50 jobs lost. 

Michigan:  What automotive industry recovery?  Detroit based General Motors (GM) announced it will shutdown three U.S. factories and one Canadian factory starting Monday, using the excuse that there’s going to be a parts shortage caused by the recent earthquake in Japan.  Thousands of people ‘temporarily’ laid off (furloughed).

Nebraska: Downsizing by the world’s largest uranium mining company, British empire Canada based Cameco, will result in 85 layoffs at the Crow Butte uranium mine.  It’s blamed on five years of low commodity prices for the radioactive rock.

New Jersey: The Clifton Board of Education approved the outright elimination of 49 jobs and also notified 5-hundred non-tenured employees that they will not be considered for re-hire next school year!

New York: In Lower Manhattan NYC, ‘tasting-menu’ restaurant Recette shutting down.  The owner is consolidating the concept with one of his other restaurants, in an attempt to save money on escalating rents.

North Carolina:  The 3rd largest cigarette maker in the U.S. International Textile Group (ITG Brands) confirmed it will layoff 375 employees in Greensboro, in June!  It’s blamed on crashing cigarette sales.

North Dakota: In Williston (a place I remember to be a true ‘Mayberry RFD’, but now a hell-hole no thanks to the oil boom), less than three years after opening, the Home Depot shutdown due to the oil bust.  The oil bust is so bad for Williston that the Home Depot was down to just five employees before they shut it down!

Oklahoma: The state Department of Human Services warning of layoffs and “catastrophic cuts” to services due to $150-million USD shortage in tax funding!

Texas: Dallas based AT&T is now offering poor families internet service for as little as $5 per month!  This is because the federal government (FCC Lifeline program) is finally recognizing that there are now more poor people than ever before and that the overwhelming majority of employers now do hiring through the internet only (no more walk-ins like when I was younger).

South Carolina: What housing market recovery?  In Fort Mills, California based Too Big to Jail Wells Fargo eliminating 91 mortgage jobs, blaming crashing demand for home loans.  In North Charleston, Boeing is pushing 2-hundred employees to take bribes to voluntarily quit!

Wisconsin: Texas based oil-gas fracker EOG Resources eliminated an undisclosed number of jobs without warning, blaming “market conditions”.

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

20-21 April 2016: “We are in a battle with our landlord”

Sears Kmart update 21 April 2016 : “A lot of customers don’t even believe this” 

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.”

Incomplete list of job loss announcements and shutdowns.

California: In Auburn, after 20 years The Chocolate Shoppe & Gift Emporium (and art gallery) shutting down by the end of May, the owners want to retire.  In San Francisco, clothier San Franpsycho shutting down their brick-n-mortar store this weekend.  Rent is too high in the Golden Gate city so the store owners are shifting to events and internet sales only.

Florida: In Ave Maria, Beckner Jewelry and Repair shutting down in May.  The owners say they love their community so much that they are shifting to much needed “social work”.

Georgia: In Hephzibah, a Food Lion grocery store suddenly shutdown this past weekend, administrators say they couldn’t renew the lease.  In Augusta, a Kroger grocery store shutting down soon.  Kroger reps blame the shutdown on crashing sales, 110 Kroger employees will become jobless by June!   Kim Hines of G.R.O.W. Harrisburg has an ominous warning: “A ‘food desert’ is a lack of access to fresh fruits, vegetables and healthy foods. So it’s a dependency on a community on convenience store foods and processed foods, or in some cases no food at all.”  

Illinois:  University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign warning of mass layoffs due to the incompetent ‘elected’ state lawmakers.  The mass layoffs would take place by the end of August.  OfficeMax shutting down their store in Crestwood, by mid-May.

Iowa: Button maker Blumenthal Lansing shutting down their Lansing factory, 80 jobs gone by July.  It’s the result of the company being taken over by Pennsylvania based greeting card and novelty maker CSS Industries.

Kentucky: Jefferson Community and Technical College eliminating 101 jobs (61 ’employees’ & 40 ‘instructors’) due to what I call Disappearing Students Syndrome (DSS)!  Since 2010 student enrollment has crashed by 4-thousand 3-hundred!  What automotive industry recovery? Powertrain maker Dana Corporation shutting down their Glasgow ops, 203 jobs lost by mid-2017!

Louisiana:  Oil contractor Gulf Island eliminating 227 jobs by the end of June, due to lack of oil contracts!  After 29 years fracking supplier Carbo Ceramics shutting down, 61 jobs gone by mid-June.   Despite reporting a $23-million USD profit last year Evangeline Downs Racetrack and Casino began laying off 2-hundred people!  That’s according to state politician Dustin Miller as the administrators of the race track (Boyd Gaming) refuse to give any info, in fact administrators downplayed the whole thing.  Boyd Gaming says the mass layoffs are not due to the economy but is their attempt at “fine tuning the operations”, which is code for greatly increasing their profits. In Baton Rouge, after seven years Truly Free Bakery & Deli suddenly shutdown by greedy landlord who refuses to properly fix the sewage system: “We are in a battle with our landlord over a very serious and quite frankly, disgusting issue. We have had major sewer problems for over 3 years, and to our frustration, this problem was never fully fixed—only temporary ‘band aides’ were attempted. This issue has persisted and has been more problematic over the last year.”– Erick and Ainsley Coughlin, owners

Maryland: In College Park, after 42 years Pianoman Superstore shutting down due to crashing sales: “It’d be great if there was enough interest to keep it going, but there isn’t.”– Nick Margaritas, owner

Michigan: Pittsford Area Schools Board of Education approved the layoff of five employees.  It’s blamed on what I call DSS, the school board even stated that families are moving away from the state of Michigan.

New York: Japan based Too Big to Jail Nomura Holdings issued mass layoff WARNs,  235 people jobless in July!  It’s because Nomura was tricked into buying the already failed Lehman Brothers.  More proof you brick-n-mortar store owners can’t directly blame the internet/high-tech for your demise; Amazon halting its clothing line, 94 MyHabit jobs lost in NYC and Brooklyn, in July.  In Sidney, tax-sucking military contractor Amphenol Aerospace suddenly laid off 1-hundred people when the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) suddenly cancelled an order for electronics parts!  A-Hole politician Charles Schumer blames it on Pentagon “red tape”, however, there are indications from the DoD that the parts are faulty. After four years the Fort Greene General Store shutting down by the end of the month, due to outrageous rent: “When I sat down and really looked hard at the numbers, I just couldn’t deny the effects of rising costs…. We have to be realistic and focus on other businesses with less overhead….”-Adriana Spence, owner

North Carolina: In Charlotte, after 19 years expensive Italian shoe store Via Veteto shutting down, the owners say they’re retiring.

Ohio: Iron foundry Columbus Castings about to go outta business, 799 jobs lost due to debts, and fines caused by violations of state and federal pollution regulations!   After announcing the shutdown of their Youngstown ops (137 jobs killed), Parker Hannifin now says it will also shutdown its Akron pneumatic cylinder factory, 75 jobs lost. 

Washington: In Tacoma, Cablecraft Motion Controls issued a WARN, 39 jobs lost starting mid-June.

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

19 April 2016: “Sometimes we have to pull the Band-Aid off quickly.”

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.”