The TOL Layoff Thread - post new reports here.

[hunybee]

[Mark D]In an effort to consolidate things, this thread has been turned into the TOL repository for large-scale layoff reports. Please post any new reports of corporate layoffs in this thread. Thanks![/Mark D]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081203/ap_en_ot/books_random_house_6

NEW YORK – The economy has crashed down on an industry once believed immune from the worst — book publishing — with consolidation at Random House Inc., and layoffs at Simon & Schuster and Thomas Nelson Publishers.
"Yes, Virginia, book publishing is NOT recession proof," said Patricia Schroeder, president and chief executive officer of the Association of American Publishers. "It's sad day."
At Random House, the country's largest general trade publisher, the man who helped give the world "The Da Vinci Code" is in talks for a new position, while the publisher of Danielle Steel and other brand-name authors is leaving altogether.
Stephen Rubin, who released Dan Brown's blockbuster thriller in 2003, is negotiating for a different job after Random House eliminated his position as president and publisher of the Doubleday Publishing Group. Bantam Dell head Irwyn Applebaum, whose many authors have included Steel, Dean Koontz and Louis L'Amour, is departing, effective immediately.
Random House, under the leadership of chief executive officer Markus Dohle, announced the changes Wednesday as part of a "new publishing structure" that will "maximize our growth potential in these challenging economic times and beyond."
Spokeswoman Carol Schneider would not say whether Applebaum, 54, was leaving voluntarily; Applebaum and Rubin, 67, have more than 40 years of combined experience in publishing. She said that layoffs are possible as the company's many imprints and divisions are shifted and split up.
"There may be difficult decisions to make and if layoffs are necessary they will be done as fairly and as quickly as possible," she said.
Simon & Schuster has been helped by President-elect Barack Obama's embrace of Doris Kearns Goodwin's "Team of Rivals," but not enough to save some 35 positions, about 2 percent of the staff. CEO Carolyn Reidy said in a company memo Wednesday that "today's action is an unavoidable acknowledgment of the current book-selling marketplace and what may very well be a prolonged period of economic instability."
Reidy added that "the entire publishing industry is coping with these truly difficult circumstances."
On Tuesday, a top executive at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt resigned as the publisher faces a credit squeeze and possible sale. Meanwhile, the head of Thomas Nelson Publishers, a Nashville, Tenn.-based company that releases religious books, announced that about 10 percent of the staff, "54 of our friends and co-workers," had lost their jobs.
"This will affect nearly every department in our company," CEO Thomas S. Hyatt wrote on his blog, http://www.michaelhyatt.com (http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/ap/ap_en_ot/storytext/books_random_house/30117639/SIG=10tticp6m/*http://www.michaelhyatt.com).
An overhaul has been expected at Random House ever since Dohle was hired last spring by parent company Bertelsmann AG, a German-based conglomerate, and began a planned months-long review of the publisher.
Last month, Random House said it would freeze pensions for current employees and eliminate them for new hires.
Under the new alignment, Random House will reduce the number of its principal divisions from five to three: The Random House Publishing Group, the longtime home to E.L. Doctorow and Maya Angelou; the Knopf Publishing Group, a literary institution that includes Toni Morrison and John Updike; and the Crown Publishing Group, known for such political authors as Obama and Ann Coulter.
Applebaum's Bantam Dell Publishing Group and Rubin's Doubleday Publishing Group will be dispersed among the three divisions. Bantam has long been in trouble as sales for mass market paperbacks dropped, while Doubleday has been hurt by the absence of Brown's long-awaited follow-up to "The Da Vinci Code" and by disappointing sales for a highly publicized debut novel, Andrew Davidson's "The Gargoyle."
Dohle said Wednesday that he is hoping to "create a new role" for Rubin at Random House, working directly with the CEO.
"As you know, Steve has successfully led Doubleday for almost two decades and is universally respected and admired throughout the industry for both his publishing expertise and management skills," Dohle said in a company memo.
Rubin, through a spokesman, declined to comment Wednesday.
Applebaum said in a statement he had been "honored to work with a long-standing team of extraordinarily skilled colleagues at Bantam Dell who, book by book, year after year, consistently have brought to the marketplace more top-level best-sellers than any other group of Random House."
Asked if he had been offered another position at Random House, Applebaum declined to comment.
Dohle is retaining at least one Random House tradition — allowing the divisions to bid against each other for books, a practice far more welcomed by authors and agents than by those worried about expenses.
"I want to stress the fact that all the imprints of Random House will retain their distinct editorial identities," Dohle said Wednesday. "These imprints and all of you who support them are the creative core of our business and essential to our success."
Also, Wednesday, The New York Times announced its 10 best books for 2008. Nine of them, including Toni Morrison's "A Mercy" and Jhumpa Lahiri's "Unaccustomed Earth," were published by Random House Inc.

[Primary Edict]

Maryland Heights Serta Mattress Factory Closes
Last Edited: Wednesday, 03 Dec 2008,
8:24 PM CST Created: Wednesday, 03 Dec 2008, 8:24 PM CST .


http://www.myfoxstl.com/myfox/photo_servlet?contentId=7996497&version=1&locale=EN-US&subtype=MIMG&siteId=1019&maxImageLength=50 (http://javascript<b></b>:openWindowLink("/myfox/MyFox/pages/sidebar_video.jsp?contentId=7996497&version=1&locale=EN-US", "status",736,472);)Stories

Serta Mattress Factory Closes Before Holidays (http://www.myfoxstl.com/myfox/pages/Business/Detail?contentId=7995927&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=4.1.1)
By Betsey Bruce

MARYLAND HEIGHTS, MO (KTVI-myFOXstl.com) --
Another plant closing means the loss of nearly 100 local jobs.
The Serta Mattress factory in Maryland Heights, Missouri, stopped production Tuesday and plans to close its doors at the end of January. Poor consumer demand prompted the firm to shut down.
Just a few months ago, members of the Unite Here union had been working 12-hour shifts producing a wide variety of mattress models.
Wanda Pitts and her husband DeLariao Pitts have both been sewing machine operators at Serta for 11 years. "We don't know where to start," she said Wednesday. "We woke up this morning and what do we do now?"
The Pitts support (http://www.myfoxstl.com/myfox/pages/Business/Detail?contentId=7997438&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=4.1.1##) two children and are paying for two new cars and a home mortgage. Even though they are getting two months worth of checks thanks to federal law, both said they deserved more notice.
Union service representative Karen Burnett plans to bring in AFL-CIO rapid response experts to help her 77 members start job searches. The union will also work to negotiate additional severance packages for members.
Serta International Marketing (http://www.myfoxstl.com/myfox/pages/Business/Detail?contentId=7997438&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=4.1.1##) and Public Relations Director Kelly Rampson said the firm will negotiate individual severance packages with non-union workers. "It's a very difficult decision for us to make," she said. "We have a lot of very dedicated employees that this will affect."
Some of the workers have been with the factory for more than 30 years. Until recently it was locally owned and operated as a Serta licensee.

[Buttercup]

Local Plant Announces Layoffs, Employees React (http://www.wpsdlocal6.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=668e7d65-0691-48f7-80f4-6bb644448040)




Update, December 3, 2008 10:00 p.m.
CALVERT CITY, KY- Local employees of a steel plant in West Kentucky are feeling the impact of a poor economy.

Two employees who work at Gerdau Ameristeel's steel mill in Calvert City confirm to Local 6 that management announced 26 layoffs this week. The plant employs 210 people. The company won't confirm any layoffs at its Calvert City plant, but are confirming layoffs will happen nationwide. The company employs 11,000 people total.

This news comes just a month after the company announced record 3rd quarter profits. A company spokesperson, Ramiro Prudencio, tells Local 6 that despite those profits, the demand for steel began to sharply decline in September. To make up for that decline, the company is cutting back on spending and employees.
J.B. Hunt found out he's being laid off in a meeting Wednesday morning. Now, he's wondering how he'll take care of his wife, Amy, and their one-year-old son Ethan.
"He's my prime concern, because he can't really do without," Amy Hunt told Local 6.
Her husband says employees were called into two meeting, Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, and told by plant managers that the more than two dozen employees would be laid off come January 5th.
"Just not really surprised, but then again, worried about the future," Hunt said of employee reaction to the news.
"Really upsetting because it's, what's gonna' happen to our family?" his wife said.
Hunt has worked for Gerdau Ameristeel in Calvert City for about two years. He says that recently there were signs lay offs might be looming.
"We've kinda' expected something like that to happen pretty soon," Hunt said. "They've cut back on our hours at work."
According to Hunt and another employee at the mill, who wished to remain anonymous, 26 employees of 210 at Calvert City's mill are being laid off. They also say 800 are out of a job across North America and 500 of those are union workers. While the company wouldn't confirm those numbers, company spokesperson Ramiro Prudencio says they are cutting employees and other costs across the board.
It's hard to understand why when in early November the company announced record 3rd quarter profits, but Prudencio says demand for steel has fallen dramatically since September. That's resulting in the need to cut back on spending and employees.

Now, the Hunt's are trying to regroup.
"I've gotta' go back to work as soon as possible," Amy Hunt said.

Her husband plans to start looking for a new job immediatly.
"Or hope things turn around where I can go back to work at the job I had because I really liked it," Hunt said of the good paying job at Gerdau Ameristeel that he has enjoyed; a situation he says is hard to find in these tough times.
Original Story, December 3, 2008 7:30 p.m.

CALVERT CITY, KY- According to two employees, Gerdau Ameristeel's Calvert City plant announced it will be laying off 26 employees come Januray 5th. A spokesperson for the company tells Local 6, the cuts are happening in steel mills across North America.

Ramiro Prudencio, a spokesperson at the corporate level of Gerdau Ameristeel, tells Local 6 because of a drastically reduced demand for steel products in the past few months, the company is being forced to make spending cuts. One of those cuts includes laying off employees from the 11,000 they employe in the United States and Canada. Prudencio says the company won't go into specifics about how many employees are being affected nationwide, or if the Gerdau Ameristeel mill in Calvert City is being affected.

Two employees in Calvert City tell Local 6 there are 26 employees who will be laid off come January 5th. They also say the word of the lay offs came down from the corporate level to the plant just before 4:00 p.m. Tuesday afternoon, and that soon after two meeting were held to alert employees in different shifts at the plant.

The announcement from Gerdau Ameristeel comes just a month after 3rd Quarter record profits. Local 6 is continuing to follow this story.

[momof23goats]

seems like jobs are going fast , really fast, each day more are reporting on jobs lost. people out of work. this is really going to get down and dirty.

[LONER]

BOSH!! I never thought they were recession proof! My first husband published a book with Leisure Press, which got eaten by another big company, (I can't remember WHO now!) which got eaten by Simon & Schuster, which put the book for a year in litigation......back in the mid '80's publishing companies were gobbling each other up, going out of business, mergong ad birthing new companies weekly!

[stillprepping]

can mods make one, single Sticky thread on this topic? as depressing as it is, i believe its important for people to understand exactly whats happening. fwiw, timebomb has a running thread on this topic at http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showthread.php?t=306733. it started the middle of october 08.

[imrik]

First the fleetwood mobile home factory shut down and now this.....
it is not gonna be pretty around here next year.

[l201_reset]

I personally like having an individual thread per announcement, since an ongoing thread would get pushed down the stack, if no replies are posted for a while.

[Falls_Tech]

Local news mentioned almost 290 layoffs at a Republic steel plant in Cleveland. A union official said something about contacting their congress critters about getting what's owed to their families. Can't remember the wording but sounded like they want a bailout. Pathetic....

[Mark D]

Existing threads have been merged into this one. Please post any additional reports of large-scale layoffs in this thread.

[packyderms_wife]

Where are the posts? Btw there are still tons of jobs in my area - central Iowa. Of course this means being able to do menial tasks.

Kimberly

[Texas Rose]

I figure this has already been mentioned: AT&T to cut 12K jobs:

http://www.woai.com/news/local/story/AT-T-To-Cut-12-000-Jobs/zZDvXgdSvU-ZvFziMNeGZQ.cspx


NEW YORK (AP) -- AT&T Inc. joined the recession's parade of layoffs Thursday by announcing plans to cut 12,000 jobs, about 4 percent of its work force.
The Dallas-based telecommunications company -- the nation's largest -- said the job cuts will take place in December and throughout 2009. The company also plans to reduce capital spending next year.
Spokesman Walt Sharp said the layoffs will be "across the company and across the country," but would not specify what departments and cities would be most affected. These layoffs come on top of 4,600 jobs the company said in April it would eliminate.
The new cuts come as AT&T finds itself pulled by two currents at once. Not only is the recession leading businesses and consumers to curtail spending, but a long-term trend in the telecom industry is also at play: AT&T, which provides local phone coverage in
California, Texas and 20 other states, has been seeing many customers defect from landline phones to wireless services. In the last quarter, AT&T basic voice lines in service dropped 11 percent.
Reflecting that shift, the company noted Thursday that even as it slashes some jobs, it would still be hiring in 2009 in parts of the business that offer cell phone service and broadband Internet access. AT&T, whose shares are down about 30 percent this year -- while the Dow Jones industrial average is off 35 percent -- remains profitable, and benefits from being the sole U.S. wireless carrier for Apple Inc.'s popular iPhone.
AT&T plans to take a charge of about $600 million in the fourth quarter to pay for severance costs. The company noted that many of its non-management employees have guaranteed jobs because of union contracts. All affected workers will receive severance "in accordance with management policies or union agreements," the
company said.
Its shares were down 2.5 percent in pre-market trading, at $28.35. This affects our area quite a bit.


ETA another story in today's paper: After first denying the WAMu "downsizing" would affect SA, oopsies! Yes it will.

http://www.woai.com/news/local/story/WAMU-Downsizing-Will-Affect-San-Antonio/kIt3VqNXhUOZWmQOAxUwmA.cspx


San Antonio is going to be affected after all when it comes to Washington Mutual job cuts. News 4 learned on Wednesday some employees have received layoff notices.

A spokesperson says there was a “misunderstanding” on Tuesday when he told News 4 San Antonio would not be affected by the layoffs. On Wednesday, he says a relatively small number of people will lose their jobs at the call center.

JPMorgan Chase who took over WAMU a few months back is cutting 9,200 jobs across the country. No one at any of the branch banks is getting cut and that does include the dozens of branch locations here in San Antonio.

But not everyone at the call center is keeping their job. Some people tell us they've already been given their 60-day notices.

The spokesperson says the company plans to start hiring people at the beginning of the year.

Again, no exact number of how many people would be getting laid off here has been released.

The San Antonio Express-News site seems to be down right now or I would pull up the story that said the layoffs would cover about 200 people.

[Wolverine]

Layoffs coming at 2 Wisconsin companies

The Capital Times — 11/12/2008 9:22 am
Two companies in southeast Wisconsin will be laying off up to 116 employees in January, according to notices filed with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.
J.W. Peters Inc., Burlington, is planning to put 86 employees on temporary layoff beginning Jan. 12 and continuing through Jan. 26, with the possibility of the layoffs becoming permanent. The company makes structural pre-cast concrete structures.
ACCO Brands, Pleasant Prairie, is laying off about 30 employees as it closes its facility in the Kenosha County community. ACCO is an office products company headquartered in Lincolnshire, Ill., with such brands as Swingline staplers, Wilson-Jones binders and Day-Timer planners.

[Wolverine]

Layoffs to come at Sara Lee Corporation.(Manufacturing Update) (http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb4874/is_200407/ai_n17917563)Sara Lee Corporation has announced that it wi[I eliminate 4,175 manufacturing jobs and close five of the company's factories from its branded apparel division. The company cites the need ... Sara Lee Corporation has announced that it wi[I eliminate 4,175 manufacturing jobs and close...

[Wolverine]

June 3, 2008

WAUSAU, WI - WH Transportation Co. says it will lay off 340 workers in Wisconsin, Ohio and Georgia because of rising fuel costs.

The Wausau-based company says it will end its van freight business after July.

It will focus instead on delivering housing materials for sister companies Wausau Homes and Sterling Building Systems. It also will deliver general flatbed freight for other companies.

Co-owner Tom Schuette says in a statement that the van freight industry can't raise its rates enough to cover rising fuel and other costs.

Schuette says the company will reduce its staff in Wisconsin to 80 people after July. He did not say how many people would be laid off here and

http://www.620wtmj.com/news/local/19489549.html

[Wolverine]

APPLETON (AP) - A Fox Valley paper company is laying off nearly 100 people.

Appleton says it's eliminating 75 full-time and 20 temporary positions at its Appleton mill because of decreased demand for carbonless paper.

Appleton employs about 2,400 people, including 1,200 in the Fox Valley.

Besides staffing cuts in Appleton, the company will idle operations at its mill in Roaring Spring, Pa., for between one and two weeks before the end of the year.
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[Wolverine]

Four state companies laying off hundreds of employees

The Capital Times — 10/24/2008 9:06 am
It won't be a fun fall or happy holiday season for hundreds of employees at four Wisconsin companies, announcing layoffs or plant closings due in large part to the severe economic downturn.
The biggest announced layoff, that of 137 workers at Marinette Marine Co. in Marinette, is expected to be temporary, but the 245 employees being laid off at the other companies will be looking for new jobs.
The layoffs and plant closings were announced Thursday by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.
Tecumseh Power Co. is closing two facilities in Grafton and New Holstein with a combined workforce of 90 employees, the layoffs scheduled to begin Dec. 8.
Wick Building Systems Inc. in Marshfield is laying off 63 employees in an effort to "size the business relative to the loss of revenue," with the layoffs beginning Christmas Eve.
GM is also contemplating more layoffs as it closes the Janesville plant, possibly furloughing 92 salaried employees if they can't be reassigned to other GM facilities. The move will be in conjunction with the layoff of 1,200 at the plant beginning Dec. 23.
Marinette Marine hopes to be able to recall the laid off workers, but a lot depends on getting new business or a reconsideration of the U.S. Navy decision to delay the awarding of a contract for the new LCS, or littoral combat ship. The U.S. Coast Guard also told the company it didn't get a contract to build fast response cutters.
Marinette already laid off 89 workers Sept. 22; the 137 new layoffs will begin Sunday.

The Capital Times — 10/24/2008 9:06 am

[Toonces]

DuPont Co. to cut 2,500 jobs

DuPont Co. is slashing jobs and stepping up its cost-cutting programs as the company grapples with a global recession it expects to continue “well into 2009.”

Company officials said today they will cut 2,500 jobs through 2009 and release 4,000 contract workers by the end of this year. Most of the affected positions will be in businesses that supply the battered auto (http://delawareonline.com/article/20081204/BUSINESS/81204012&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL#) and construction markets.


http://delawareonline.com/article/20081204/BUSINESS/81204012&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL

[hunybee]

http://kstp.com/article/stories/S688961.shtml?cat=206

CROOKSTON, Minn. (AP) - The Polk County Commission in northwest Minnesota has decided to cut its last agricultural extension agent for budget reasons.
Russ Severson was the county agriculture agent for 22 years before transferring to the state-funded regional office in April. He says the job cut is unfortunate.
He pointed out to the commissioners on Tuesday that Polk is one of the largest agricultural counties in the state, and leads Minnesota in the production of sugar beets.
County agent Jim Stordahl says over 4,000 people a year use the county extension service. He's still slated to see his job cut within about 90 days.
Commission Chairman Bill Montague says the decision to cut the job was purely financial. He says the county needs to reduce its $20 million budget by $2 million.
_____________

[hunybee]

http://www.usatoday.com/printedition...ies_st.art.htm (http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20081201/1acities_st.art.htm)

Salaries, jobs, services face the chopping block
By Marisol Bello
USA TODAY
Battered by record foreclosures and falling tax revenue, cities are laying off workers, raising fees and closing libraries and recreation centers.
"Almost every city in the country is feeling the impact," says Chris Hoene, director of policy and research at the National League of Cities.
A survey in September found that city finance officers expect revenue from property, sales and income taxes to decrease 4.3% this year, Hoene says.
The problem will be worse next year, he says, because there is a lag between current economic conditions and when they affect city revenue.
"Local officials know that if things are tight now," he says, "tougher choices are coming."
The survey found that 79% of cities expect their finances to worsen in 2009.
Cities are making adjustments:
•Philadelphia saw revenue from a tax on businesses drop 9% to $399 million in its 2008 fiscal year, which ended June 30. Its real estate transfer tax revenue fell 15% to $184 million. Eleven of 54 libraries are closing, 67 of 81 pools will not reopen next summer, and 200 of 23,000 employees will be laid off on Jan. 1. "This is the worst thing we've seen in decades in terms of how quickly the economy has fallen," finance director Rob Dubow says.
•San Diego, where foreclosures more than doubled this year to 5,551, is projecting a $43 million shortfall in its $1.19 billion budget when the fiscal year ends on June 30, because of falling revenue from property, sales and hotel taxes and other fees. On Jan. 1, the city eliminated all six service centers where residents went for help with city services, and it reduced the number of cadets in its police academy from 50 to 25.
•Atlanta, expecting a revenue shortfall of up to $60 million, is cutting 4,600 employees' salaries, including the mayor's, by 10%.
•Seattle is just beginning to feel the pinch, Mayor Greg Nickels says. The city proposes increasing parking fees from $1.50 an hour to $2.50 and reducing spending on youth violence programs and housing for the homeless. "We are starting to see the effects of what others have been facing," Nickels says.
The U.S. Conference of Mayors is asking Congress for a $90 billion stimulus plan to help cities with infrastructure projects, the creation of green jobs and community development.
"Without some help, it is increasingly difficult for cities to be the great places we are," says Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter.
Sally Reed of Friends of Libraries USA says cities are making the wrong cuts, closing libraries just as more people use their free services.
"It's really backwards thinking," she says. "They've become increasingly important, and yet libraries are the first ones cut."
__________

[Falls_Tech]

Kind of small but may become a trend. 92.3 K-Rock let go all their on-air personalities. They are now an all music station. I guess a computer runs the show now.

[hunybee]

http://www.wdio.com/article/stories/...html?cat=10335 (http://www.wdio.com/article/stories/S687979.shtml?cat=10335)


U.S. Steel Idles Keewatin Taconite U.S. Steel announced they are idling several facilities, including Keewatin Taconite, in the next several week.
They would not say exactly when the shutdown will take effect, but that it would be temporary.
Steelworkers said they were not surprised, but are still nervous.
"We've been through this before. We're resilient, we'll bounce back," said Art Hamm, a Keetac Steelworker.
We caught up with a grew up of Keetac Steelworkers, who were in Duluth for a meeting about pension benefits.
"It will be tough for the families," said John Finken.
"I just hope it's not long, and the company doesn't lose too much production or profitability, and we can come back and be part of a stronger economy," Hamm added.
Steelworkers said they are in the middle of some mini-shut downs for maintenance, and that they heard there would be a 60-90 day shutdown in the spring.
The company plans on concentrating their steel production at other facilities. They would not comment on production at Minntac.
Local lawmaker Tony Sertich said he and the Range delegation will do everything they can, to help during this difficult time.
As for the expansion at Keetac, sources said the company continues to plan for it. Permitting is expected to take several years. U.S. Steel wants to re-start an idled line, and add 75 jobs.

[hunybee]

Layoffs at Hibbing Taconite: Closer to Reality http://www.wdio.com/article/stories/...html?cat=10335 (http://www.wdio.com/article/stories/S686278.shtml?cat=10335)

The layoff situation at Hibbing Taconite seems to be moving closer to reality.
In November. partial owner Cliffs Natural Resources announced the possibility of about 120 layoffs in January, when they are likely to idle a production line.
Last week, all Steelworkers at Hibtac received a letter from the general manager, which said that reduced production will likely last all through 2009.
It also encouraged people who are considering retiring, to let the company know now, so they can adjust their layoff list accordingly.
Cliffs officials said the cutbacks are still proposed.
Better news for Hibtac. Their pellets go to Burns Harbor, a major steel facility in Indiana. That plant was facing 2500 layoffs, but now that number has been reduced to 400.
At United Taconite, they are still running at reduced capacity, and employees are dealing with a 32-hour work week.
Northshore is running with two lines idled, but no staffing changes have been announced.
So far, US Steel and ArcelorMittal owned mines are still running at full strength, and there have been no layoff notices yet.
__________________

[hunybee]

St. Paul Ford plant furloughs workers for Dec. http://kstp.com/article/stories/S680252.shtml?cat=206

http://kstp.com/kstpImages/system/bg/filler1x1.gif Updated at: 11/26/2008 05:06:11 PM
By: Becky Nahm


St. Paul Ford plant furloughs workers for Dec. Wednesday is the last day on the job for hundreds of workers at the St. Paul Ford plant until the new year.
Ford is laying off 760 workers for the month of December.
The company is cutting back production at the plant because of slow auto sales.
The employees will return to work sometime after January 1, 2009.
The entire Ford plant is slated to close in 2011.

[hunybee]

Cirrus announces temporary layoffs http://kstp.com/article/stories/S680180.shtml?cat=206

DULUTH, Minn. (AP) - Airplane maker Cirrus Design says it's temporarily laying off about 165 people at its plant in Grand Forks, N.D., and 335 people in its Duluth headquarters next month.
Cirrus Vice President Bill King says the workers will have reduced work schedules until Jan. 5.
He calls it a "rolling furlough," saying the company will shut down parts of its production line.
The company says other Cirrus departments, including sales, customer service, engineering and development, won't be affected.
Cirrus laid off about 100 workers last month, with about 75 from Duluth and the rest from Grand Forks. President and Chief Operating Officer Brent Wouter said then that no more large-scale layoffs are planned.
King says the company will continue to employ about 1,105 people.

[Wolverine]

Rock County layoffs reach 10-year high

By STAN STRICKER (http://wclo.com/staff/stan-stricker/) ( Contact (http://wclo.com/staff/stan-stricker/contact/) ) Thursday, Nov. 20, 2008

(http://gazettextra.advertserve.com/servlet/click/zone?zid=6&pid=0&lookup=true&position=1) (http://gazettextra.advertserve.com/servlet/click/zone?zid=72&pid=0&lookup=true&position=1)
The number of laid-off workers in Rock county, resulting from employers notifying the state of lay-offs totaling 50-workers or more, is four-times higher this year compared to last.
Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Director Bob Borremans says the number is at a 10-year record high. Borremans says despite the increased volume of service needed at the Rock County Job Center, the staff is keeping up.
The total number of displaced workers in Rock county this year, from these large lay-offs, is 5400.

[hunybee]

Viasystems To Close Wisconsin Plant; 238 Jobs Lost http://www.wfrv.com/news/state/story...9-6486a817dc31 (http://www.wfrv.com/news/state/story.aspx?content_id=2d1ea9b5-cdc8-4ded-aef9-6486a817dc31)


MADISON (WFRV/AP) - Viasystems Milwaukee says it will close its Oak Creek manufacturing and distribution plant next year, resulting in the loss of 238 jobs.

Viasystems told the state Thursday it will close the plant in phases. It says the first and largest shut down will take place Jan. 19, and the final one will be done by the end of May.

According to its Web site, Viasystems is a worldwide provider of circuit boards and other electronic equipment.

The Department of Workforce Development says it will work with the Milwaukee Area Workforce Investment Board and the Hire Center to help affected employees and let them know what services are available.
__________________

[stillprepping]

hunny - can i recommend - or you recommend - that this thread be turned into a 'sticky'?

[MGNiko]

Can I report myself here? I had to lay myself off last month (self employed) as the costs were too great to continue and sales/building were zero (real estate). I'm now a professional Dad staying home with my 8 week old boy and trying to get a job driving an airport shuttle during the evening hours once my wife comes home from teaching. I have higher degrees in Public Administration and unfortunately the way things are those jobs are hardly to be seen right now.

[KuernoDeChivo]

Nevada - Utah

Mesquite casino lays off hundreds in preparation for partial shutdown
December 2nd, 2008 @ 11:00pm
By John Hollenhorst

The financial crisis has struck in a place where a lot of people just throw money away. Hundreds of people are suddenly out of work in Mesquite, Nev., because the gambling industry has fallen on hard times.

The Oasis Hotel and Casino isn't shutting down exactly, but pretty close. On Friday it's moving to a bare-bones operation to ride out the economic crisis.

If Nevada is a monument to disposable income, the trouble here shows there just isn't as much "wretched excess" as there used to be. The Oasis is part of a three-hotel, three-casino empire in Mesquite that is hurting bad in the new economy.

"We're no different than anybody else, and I'm just hoping that it doesn't get worse," said Randy Black Sr., majority owner of Black Gambling.

Black's company's gambling revenue tumbled 28 percent in the third quarter of 2008. The fourth quarter doesn't look good either.

"Instead of coming two and three and four times and spending $200, $300 a trip, they're coming one or two times and spending $20. So that's really the major problem," Black explained.

They're putting the Oasis into semi-shutdown, hoping it will strengthen sister operations, the Casablanca and the Virgin River Inn.

Oasis food and beverage outlets are closing and table games are shutting down, with gambling action limited to a few slot machines. The Oasis hotel will be used mainly for overflow from the other two hotels. Five hundred company employees are out of a job.

"You immediately say to yourself, 'How can we find another job for those people within the next two weeks so they can still enjoy Christmas?'" Mesquite Mayor Susan Holecheck said.

The economic crunch is hitting Mesquite the hardest, but gambling revenues are down throughout Nevada.

"It's a symptom of the whole country, that we're living beyond our means, and here I am gambling," customer Bob Thom laughed. "But I know how to control it."

Customer Donna Pimm said, "You know, It's going to hit everybody. This economy's going to hit everybody, and I guess casinos aren't aloof of that."

The layoffs are an especially big shock here in Mesquite where the booming growth curve in recent years has fueled a lively job market. But now, with turmoil in the real estate market and gloom in the gambling business, the future is very dark and cloudy.

[KuernoDeChivo]

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=4956267

Layoffs expected today at West Jordan plant
December 2nd, 2008 @ 6:32am

(KSL News) Kraftmaid Cabinetry begins its second round of layoffs today.

Earlier this year, the company announced it would lay off upwards of 500 employees. Some of those employees were let go in May; the rest will be let go today.

Kraftmaid's $100-million West Jordan plant was built just three years ago.

[INVAR]

My major and supporting client that I subcontracted for has closed their e-business franchises and is laying off it's entire fulfillment staff. New Balance has terminated my services along with anyone connected with their retail web business franchises.

Learned of this on Tuesday.

This may well kill us here at home as most of the B2B marketing and advertising industry is in complete collapse. Ad revenues are near record lows for most publications and few are needing advertising artwork as ad budgets are cut to nothing.

I started my biz during the recession of 1990 after getting laid off from an ad agency, and the climate out there now it TOTALLY different than it was then. It is downright frightening today.

I may end up doing a stint as a Walmart Greeter for awhile - until even that disappears.

[Bear]

AT&T to cut 12,000 employees through 2009


By Jeremy Kirk , IDG News Service , 12/04/2008


AT&T (http://www.networkworld.com/news/financial/att.html) will lay off 12,000 workers through 2009 as the company reorganizes and faces a tough economic environment, the company said Thursday.

AT&T will spend US$600 million in its fourth quarter 2008 for severance payments to those workers, which represent about 4 percent of the company's workforce.
The company tried to soften the blow by saying it will add employees in some areas, such as wireless, video and broadband, in order to meet customer demand. Many non-management employees who are affected will have a guaranteed job offer as stipulated in union contracts, AT&T said.
AT&T said it will reduce its 2009 capital expenditure from 2008 levels. Those plans are now being finalized and will be revealed during its fourth quarter 2008 earnings call at the end of January.
Related Content
Investment firm UBS predicts that capital spending by service providers such as AT&T could decrease by as much as 10 percent in 2009.
AT&T grew both its revenue and net income for its third quarter 2008, boosted in part by a rush of new customers buying Apple's (http://www.networkworld.com/news/financial/apple.html) 3G (third-generation) iPhone.

Still, the company missed analysts' expectations. The company reported net income of $3.23 billion, up from $3.06 billion in the third quarter of 2007. Revenue grew from $30.1 billion to $31.3 billion.

http://www.networkworld.com (http://www.networkworld.com/)

[Bear]

Nortel cutting 2,100 jobs

Nortel blames lower carrier spending for revenue shortfall
By Jim Duffy (http://www.networkworld.com/Home/jduffy.html) , Network World , 02/27/2008


Nortel (http://www.networkworld.com/news/2007/050207-zafirovski-maps-out-nortel.html) said it will cut 2,100 jobs and shift 1,000 more to "higher growth and lower cost geographies" after fourth quarter results fell short of Wall Street expectations.


Revenue in the fourth quarter of $3.2 billion, was down 4% year over year. Full year 2007 revenue was $10.95 billion, also down 4%.



Analysts expected revenue to come in at $3.28 billion for the quarter. Nortel blamed lower than expected carrier spending in North America for the revenue shortfall in the fourth quarter.


Excluding the impact of the divestiture of its UMTS Access business, revenue would have increased 2% in the quarter and the year, Nortel says.
Related Content
Nortel also posted a net loss in the fourth quarter of $844 million for the quarter, and $957 million for the year, because of a $1.1 billion non-cash charge the company took due to changes in Nortel's Canadian tax profile. This compares to a net loss of $80 million in the fourth quarter of 2006 and a profit of $28 million for the year 2006.



Analysts expected a profit of $219 million for the quarter and about $243 million for the year.


Despite the lowered results, Nortel increased gross and operating margins in the quarter, though fourth quarter operating margin fell short of the company's internal targets.



Revenue form Nortel's Enterprise Solutions (http://www.networkworld.com/news/2007/092007-nortel-hackney-qna.html) (ES) group was $762 million in the fourth quarter, a decrease of 3% from the year-ago quarter but up 14% sequentially. ES revenues were negatively impacted by lower revenues from the LG-Nortel joint venture, the company said.



The workforce reduction, meanwhile, is expected to result in annual gross savings of approximately $300 million, Nortel says. Seventy percent of the reduction will take place this year.



Nortel will also sell certain real estate assets. At this time last year, Nortel cut 2,900 positions (http://www.networkworld.com/news/2007/020707-nortel-jobs.html).



The restructuring will result in total charges to earnings of approximately $275 million and cash outlays of approximately $250 million, however the actual costs could be lower with the redeployment of resources, the company says. Nortel expects 70% of the charges to be incurred in 2008 and the remainder in 2009.



For 2008, Nortel expects revenue to grow in the low single digits.
Earlier this week, fellow telecom equipment vendor Siemens aired plans to cut 3,800 jobs (http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/022608-siemens-to-cut-3800-jobs.html) at its Enterprise Communications subsidiary, including 2,000 jobs in Germany.



http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/022708-nortel-cuts-jobs.html

[Bear]

Verizon cuts 2,700 jobs the day after Thanksgiving

By Samuel Davidson
25 November 2008


Verizon Telecommunications will cut 2,700 management employees the day after Thanksgiving in the third round of layoffs to hit the number-two US telecommunications provider this year. In addition, an undisclosed number of union-represented jobs will be eliminated through an early retirement program.


The layoffs are targeting Verizon's wire line section of the business, whose workers and jobs the company has now defined disparagingly as "legacy," as it seeks to switch over to being a telephone, video and Internet provider by installing fiber-optic cables in customers' homes.


Departments targeted for the job eliminations saw an average of 10 percent cut, and some departments underwent as many as one in seven jobs destroyed. Verizon plans to conduct another layoff in the first quarter of 2009. Although the current layoffs are targeting management workers, Verizon has cut its unionized work force by 15,000 jobs since 2003 through attrition. The contract signed last August by the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) with Verizon allows the telecom to continue scaling back its unionized work force.


Workers were told of the impending layoffs in early October, and volunteers were sought. Verizon has not released how many decided to accept the offer, but workers say that the number was quite small since the company has been cutting positions since 2006. Workers in the affected departments were told to be in their offices the morning of October 30, even if they worked other shifts or had scheduled a vacation for that day.

Their managers would then notify them if they were being let go or not.
Workers being cut were given 28 days to find another job within the company—a virtual impossibility since no sections of the business are hiring—or be laid off November 28, the day after Thanksgiving. Workers who lost their jobs are given $2,000 a year for each year of service up to a maximum of $35,000. In return, they must sign documents stating that they will not sue the company or seek a job at a rival for one year.


A network specialist with 38 years of service was one of those let go. She asked that her name not be used for fear that it would jeopardize her chances of finding another job. "I have two kids who are still in college, I was not ready to retire. College costs a lot. They [her children] have taken jobs, but all they get is minimum wage and you can't pay for college on minimum wage. I started with Verizon when I was 24, I am only 62 right now and would not be able to get my full social security for another three years."


In 2006, Verizon abolished its pension benefits and retirees' health plan for more than 50,000 management employees. Pensions accrued before 2006 were valued and placed in something similar to a 401(k) account, with its value tied to Verizon's stock. Most management workers also lost their company-paid healthcare.


The veteran network specialist continued: "I am not sure how my medical benefits will be affected. Because I have 38 years, I think the company will still pay part of my medical benefits, but I will have to pay 20 or 50 percent. I don't know how much yet. Younger workers who get cut will have to pay more than $1,000 a month if they want to continue with health coverage. I have saved up money in my 401(k), but it has fallen a lot this year.


"There are many people in my department with less service than me, but management said that since I do maintenance work on our current network, my job is no longer needed. It is not true that ‘we don't work on the fiber network'—our systems maintain both networks. Some vice-president will just call this outdated, cut jobs and make a name for him or herself. The people that make these decisions don't understand how the network operates; they just figure that it would be cheaper to cut maintenance now and fix things on an ad hoc basic."


Another network specialist with 12 years of service commented, "Our director had a conference call with us in September and said that our department would not be hit by layoffs. Then last month, our manager held a conference call and asked if anyone would like to take the offer, but no one did.


"I work in Virginia in the D.C. area, my manager is in Texas. I have never seen him, but on October 30, he flew out here to tell me I was laid off. For some reason, they have to do it in person, I don't know why, maybe it is some kind of test for them. As soon as he walked through the door, I knew I was going to be laid off because that would be the only reason to come see me."


"This is a very bad time to lose your job. Even in the D.C. area, no one is hiring. As soon as they told me, I started looking on the company's and other web sites, but companies everywhere are cutting people. No one is taking anyone on."


Over the past year, Verizon stock has fallen from $45 a share to around $27. Employees have seen the value of their 401(k)—now the primary source of pensions for management employees—fall nearly in half.


Rob, a supervisor who was pressured into taking an early retirement in 2006 after more than 32 years, told the WSWS, "I am only 58 years old. I didn't have to leave, but they were pressuring me to go. I keep getting told that my job was no longer needed. Each year, the company was taking more and more away from management, so I figured I had better leave now.


"When I retired, I was told by my financial advisor that I would be able to live off the earnings on my savings, but with the stock market collapse, I have had to go back to work. Financial advisors are another racket, they will tell you anything, they just want control of your savings. I am not doing too bad, my kids are all grown, so it is just me and my wife, but I can't live off my savings, so I am trying to find another job.


"I have been working for a contractor that installs computer systems. They pay $16 an hour, that is not too bad but the work is only now and then. They call you when they need you, you work for a few days and then you are off again. They have not called me in a few weeks. With the economy, companies are cutting all their projects.


"I went to work for Target a few weeks ago. They told me that I would be working in the stock room, have every other weekend off and would not work nights. I worked 15 days straight without a day off, I have worked nights, evenings...they just move me around wherever they want me. The other day, they put me out on the floor helping customers. I was completely lost, all for less than $11 an hour, so I quit. The manager said that I would never be hired by a Target again. Now I am out looking for another job. It doesn't look good, nobody is doing any hiring."


Verizon continues to report massive profits. For the third quarter of 2008, Verizon reported revenues of $24.8 billion, up 4.1 percent from the third quarter of 2007. Profits for the quarter totaled $4.2 billion.


But the company is under enormous pressure to cut costs. In the past few years, it has been seeking to reposition itself as a provider of television, video and high-speed Internet along with basic phone service. Verizon has spent billions to rewire its network using fiber-optic cables to people's homes. Along with this, they have had to replace all their switching equipment to handle the bandwidth demand of providing television and video services. Verizon's outstanding debts total more than $44 billion.
While the fiber-optic technology has shown enormous potential, the company is experiencing lower-than-projected sales and stiff competition from AT&T, which has also rolled out its own broadband services, and from cable companies offering telephone service.


In past economic downturns, people tended to maintain their phone service, but now, as layoffs mount, many people may decide that premium television and high-speed Internet are things they can do without.
While growth in the wireless business remains strong, that is not going to last for long. Analysis of the telecommunications industry points to the fact that recent wireless growth has come from the carving up of customers from the almost-defunct Sprint/Nextel network. Further growth in wireless will only come through price-cutting, which will lead to lower profit margins.
While Verizon continues to cut its employees, including low-level management, the company's top executives continue to make millions. Last year, CEO Ivan G. Seidenberg earned more than $26 million.

[KuernoDeChivo]

Wow Bear ...Talking Telecoms I have heard RUMORS that Sprint may go T/U before Spring!

[johnswahoo]

I will say this. Any one who gets laid off, while searching for a job it might be a good time to take some classes at a local college or trade school. Lets face it were in a changing environment and were never to old to learn a new trick. If you say you can't your already defeated and you'll be one of the last to find a job when the market does come back.
Even if you take one class its a start. I could be anything, cooking, computers, hospitality, etc...

[lamplighter]

This is the company that our son flies for . He is still employed , at least thro Dec 23rd, and that is suppose to be his last day,
Lamplighter

Aircargo Asia Pacific - Kalitta feels the heat
Dec 4, 2008 ... US freight specialist Kalitta Air has parked eight of its 20 aircraft ... the layoffs impacting full-time workers employed through Kalitta’s ...
www.impactpub.com.au/aircargo/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2771&Itemid=60 - 14 hours ago - Similar pages

Oscoda Press: Recession strikes Iosco, Kalitta Air cuts 200 jobs Dec 3, 2008 ... Employees learned of the layoffs via a memo issued by owner and founder ... Kalitta had hoped the Christmas airfreight rush would have ...
www.oscodapress.com/articles/2008/12/03/news/news02.txt - 26k

[KuernoDeChivo]

I will say this. Any one who gets laid off, while searching for a job it might be a good time to take some classes at a local college or trade school. Lets face it were in a changing environment and were never to old to learn a new trick. If you say you can't your already defeated and you'll be one of the last to find a job when the market does come back.
Even if you take one class its a start. I could be anything, cooking, computers, hospitality, etc...

I am already nervous.

I am in one part of the computer field that still looks very solid and work for a company with cash reserves no debt (the owners are preppers :) BUT come the new year I think I may start taking night classes in the Nursing field, prolly starting with an assistant cert and then moving up. I figure if I can take some classes at night while working and then maybe pick up some part time work I can continue for the full nursing thing later, if needed.

Since my wife wants us to move to Alaska I figure it would be a step towards reaching that goal if by some miracle society doesn't crumble before then.

[BuffaloCreek]

Register lays off 41 employees

THE REGISTER

The Des Moines Register is eliminating jobs for 41 employees because of worsening economic situations, publisher Laura Hollingsworth announced today.

Another 15 open positions will not be filled, she said, and four employees volunteered for a severance package.

Among the positions cut was the newsroom’s editorial cartoonist, Brian Duffy, who has been in that position since 1983. The Register had claimed to be the only newspaper in the United States with an editorial cartoon on the front page. The tradition extended back to at least the early 20th century, according to Register archives. Ted Rall, the president of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists, estimated that about 20 editorial cartoonists have been laid off or retired in the last three years.

In the Register’s weeklies division, which includes the Indianola Record-Herald and the Altoona Herald, there were an additional 14 employees impacted.

The total employee impact translates to 6.9% of the company’s 801-member workforce, according to an e-mail from Hollingsworth to employees.

All laid off employees will receive severance packages and benefits for up to 26 weeks.

“Those employees who are leaving us in the coming days have made important and hard-working contributions to the Des Moines Register, many for a number of years,” Hollingsworth said. “We are grateful to them for all their service and we thank them for their impact to this company and to our communities.

“The layoffs here and those going on throughout Gannett are difficult but necessary steps.”

Gannett Co. said in October that it would cut about 10 percent of its staff across its U.S. community publishing division, which includes the Des Moines Register and the Iowa City Press-Citizen, citing the deepening national financial crisis.

Robert J. Dickey, president of the community publishing division, said at that time in a letter to publishers and general managers that Gannett’s revenues continue to be severely impacted by the national downturn. Gannett said third-quarter earnings were down 33 percent.

[hunybee]

http://kstp.com/article/stories/S691005.shtml?cat=206

Gannett's 10 Wis. newspapers laying off APPLETON, Wis. AP) - A 10 percent work force cut at the nation's largest newspaper company, USA Today publisher Gannett Co., will mean layoffs in Wisconsin.
Across Gannett's 10 Wisconsin markets with daily newspapers, 74 employees were laid off, with 18 more vacancies created by attrition or by leaving positions unfilled.
Gannett will soon stop publishing the Denmark Press and Wrightstown Post Gazette.
Gannett, based in McLean, Va., has 84 metro and community dailies and USA Today, the nation's largest newspaper by circulation.
The company's 10 Wisconsin newspapers are in Appleton, Green Bay, Oshkosh, Manitowoc, Fond du Lac, Sheboygan, Marshfield, Wausau, Stevens Point and Wisconsin Rapids.

[emoemo333]

http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2008/12/04/business/120408prattwhitney.txt

Jet engine maker Pratt & Whitney laid off about 350 employees across the country on Wednesday amid concerns that airlines may delay or cancel orders as the global economy slows.

The cuts will affect less than 1 percent of the company's work force of more than 38,000 employees, and will take effect immediately, Jennifer Whitlow, a spokeswoman said.

Employees in Arkansas, including the Springdale plant were not affected by this action, Whitlow confirmed in e-mail.

About 280 of the layoffs will occur at the company's Connecticut operations. The remaining 70 will affect employees in 12 other states including Maine and Texas. Those cuts will affect salaried positions including administrative assistants, engineers and accountants, Whitlow said.

"The economy has without a doubt impacted the global aerospace market," said Whitlow. "Airlines are looking to reduce cost structure and we are part of that value chain."

Pratt & Whitney, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp., supplies both military and commercial jet engines for products such as Boeing Co.'s 747 and 777 and others. It also builds engines for Lockheed Martin Corp.'s F-22 fighter jet and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
*

"This announcement is a reminder of the grim realities faced as a result of the recession gripping our country and its impact on the global economy," said Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., in a statement.

Pratt said its decision aims to lower company costs as worsening economic conditions hurt the aerospace industry.

Outside of job cuts, Pratt has taken other cost-cutting measures, including restricting hires to critical positions and working with suppliers to trim expenses.

Shares of the Hartford, Conn.-based company rose $1.26 to $47.32 at the close of business Wednesday.

Morning News reporter Kim Souza contributed to this report.

[Achilles]

Viacom to cut 850 jobs in response to downturn

Viacom to cut 850 jobs, freeze some salaries, write down assets in response to economy



Ryan Nakashima, AP Business Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Amid an ongoing debt crisis at controlling shareholder Sumner Redstone's movie theater company, Viacom Inc. plans to slash about 850 jobs -- 7 percent of its work force -- and freeze some senior-level salaries.
Related Quotes


SymbolPriceChange

CBS (http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=CBS) 7.40+0.09

http://ichart.finance.yahoo.com/instrument/1.0/CBS/chart;range=1d/image;size=179x98 (http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=CBS)

MWY (http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=MWY)0.27-0.03
http://ichart.finance.yahoo.com/instrument/1.0/MWY/chart;range=1d/image;size=179x98 (http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=MWY)

VIA-B (http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=VIA-B) 14.64+0.14
http://ichart.finance.yahoo.com/instrument/1.0/VIA-B/chart;range=1d/image;size=179x98 (http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=VIA-B)

WMS (http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=WMS) 24.30-1.85
http://ichart.finance.yahoo.com/instrument/1.0/WMS/chart;range=1d/image;size=179x98 (http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=WMS)



Viacom, which owns MTV Networks, BET Networks and Paramount Pictures, said the cuts are a response to the global economic downturn.
The company said, without specifying, that it also plans to write down the value of some programming and other assets. But it maintained it has a "strong balance sheet and substantial cash flow."

The job cuts, write-offs and suspension of some raises in 2009 are expected to generate pretax savings of $200 million to $250 million next year. The company will take a restructuring charge of $400 million to $450 million, or 42 cents to 48 cents per share, before taxes in the current quarter, which ends Dec. 31.

"The changes we are making in our organization and processes will better position Viacom to navigate the economic slowdown and generate sizable efficiencies that will help us to drive our business as the marketplace stabilizes and conditions improve," President and Chief Executive Philippe Dauman said in a statement.

Last month, Viacom reported that its third-quarter profit fell 37 percent as film studio Paramount Pictures' theatrical revenue fell more than one-third and global ad revenue declined 2 percent.

The company was also hindered by lackluster ratings at MTV, which decreases the flow of ad revenue.

The company faces other major problems: the threat of a strike by the Screen Actors Guild early next year and the maturity looming on Dec. 19 of some $800 million of debt at Redstone's National Amusements Inc., the movie theater company, which could cause further Viacom share sales.

Redstone was forced to sell $233 million of his family's nonvoting stake in CBS Corp. and Viacom Inc. in October to raise enough capital to stay in compliance with the terms of the total $1.6 billion in loans at National Amusements.

Last week he also sold his entire 87.2 percent stake in Midway Games Inc. for less than a penny a share to generate an estimated tax loss of around $600 million for National Amusements.

Redstone is in talks to sell some or all of National Amusements' movie theaters and its interest in slot machine supplier WMS Industries Inc.
But he has steadfastly said he will not sell more Viacom or CBS shares, which could dilute his control of the two media companies.

Analyst Joseph Bonner of Argus Research Co. said the possibility of a Viacom share sale still loomed like a dark cloud, however.

"Even though Redstone has sworn up and down he's not going to sell it, who knows until it's resolved?" Bonner said. "You would normally think of a cost-saving issue as a positive. (But) there are a lot of different issues going on."

Bernstein Research analyst Michael Nathanson maintained an "outperform" rating on the stock, noting the cutback "provides a cushion to Viacom's bottom line" against a potential further ad slowdown.

He added the cut to programming assets was a concern.

"The sizable programming write-down raises questions about the current management's ability to effectively program their cable networks to drive ratings -- an ongoing investment controversy for Viacom," he wrote.

Viacom shares slipped 13 cents, or 0.8 percent, to $15.88 in afternoon trading after initially rising as high as $16.70.


http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Viacom-to-cut-850-jobs-freeze-apf-13744514.html

[hunybee]

http://www.wdio.com/article/stories/S689959.shtml?cat=10335

Keetac Steelworkers Prepare for Shutdown Steelworkers at Keewatin Taconite are preparing to be done with work, as soon as this week.
U.S. Steel is idling the plant indefinitely. Steelworkers said some employees will be done this week, but most will be next week.
Local 2660 president Jack Thronson was at Keetac on Wednesday, working out the details with management.
About 20 people will remain on property during the shutdown, to watch for fires and keep pumps from freezing.
It takes some time and care to idle the massive equipment. Parts of the plant and pit are already in mini-shutdown mode for maintenance right now.
Many Steelworkers heard second hand or from the media, not from the company. A U.S. Steel spokesman said he was not sure how employee notification was handled.
Keewatin mayor Tom Sampson said he was devastated by the news. He got the call around noon on Tuesday.
"I'm not sure what the city can do to help, but we'll put our heads together and see what we can do," he said.
Steelworkers will be able to apply for unemployment, and many will get supplemental benefits from U.S. Steel and keep their health insurance.
Representative Tony Sertich said that there is enough money in the state's unemployment fund to help these layoffs.

[hunybee]

http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=531116&catid=14

St. Cloud Times owner cuts 23 jobs


ST. CLOUD, Minn. -- The owner of the St. Cloud Times cut 23 of its 217 jobs this week, part of wider cuts being implemented by its parent Gannett Co.
Publisher Bill Albrecht said 17 people were let go Tuesday and Wednesday and six open jobs were eliminated. Four of those 17 volunteered to be placed on the job-cut list.
Albrecht didn't detail the positions cut, or from which departments. He says jobs were dropped across divisions, including sales, newsroom, production and circulation. The cuts amount to 10.6 percent of the work force.
They were also cut throughout Times Media publications. Times Media publishes the St. Cloud Times, Shopping News, Wright Way Shopper and sctimes.com, along with other products.
Albrecht said the cuts have more to do with a slow economy than an industry struggling with declining circulation and advertising revenue.
Gannett, the nation's largest newspaper publisher, announced a 10 percent work force cut in October because of declining revenue. Those layoffs began Monday at some of the company's 85 local and regional papers around the country.

[cyberiot]

Mesa police cutting 19 positions, reducing overtime

Art Thomason - Dec. 4, 2008 02:10 PM
The Arizona Republic

Despite expectations of a rise in property crime, the Mesa Police Department (http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/2008/12/04/20081204mr-police1205.html#) is proposing to cut staffing levels by 19 sworn positions, and employ new efficiencies to deal with the city's projected $62 million budget gap over the next 19 months.

By taking a series of steps, including massive reductions in overtime and reducing the department's civilian workforce by nine positions, savings would total more than $13 million in the coming fiscal year, Police Chief George Gascon (http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/2008/12/04/20081204mr-police1205.html#) told the City Council on Thursday.

The police plan was among the council's first detailed look at how city departments are reorganizing, reducing staff and in some cases cutting hours to come within a budget decimated by declining revenue projections.

Gascon described an ongoing evolution of change, revamping longtime department business models and taking risks, all with the goal of improving efficiencies to offset budget constraints.

"We're pulling a lot of levers," he said.

Some of the internal restructuring includes decentralization of detectives, crime prevention groups, traffic officers and SWAT teams to retain good response times and improve crime deterrence in neighborhoods, he said.
The city's top cop said the recessionary economy's bite out of other city functions, such as library hours and park services, normally don't bode well for city's decreasing crime rate.

When those services aren't available, it means more people looking for alternatives and putting more kids on the streets with nothing to do, he said.

Though the department's aviation surveillance is critical in a city that encompasses 134 square miles, Gascon said the number of in-flight hours could probably be cut without harming the unit's effectiveness.
The chief encouraged the city to work for a regional aviation program that could result in a savings by Valley police departments sharing responsibilities and costs.

Mesa Police helicopters currently average 10 flight hours a day, seven days per week, and answer an average of 48 calls each day. If the helicopter is in the air, the average response time to a scene is 54 seconds.

City Manager Chris Brady (http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/2008/12/04/20081204mr-police1205.html#) said the proposals outlined by Gascon save core services while delivering more flexibility to meet the economy's harsh realities.

He said the reorganization and better use of technology has resulted in putting 57 more officers on the streets in the last two years.
Mayor Scott Smith (http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/2008/12/04/20081204mr-police1205.html#) praised Gascon and his department for not being afraid to take some risks.

"We can't be afraid of failures as long as they're measured failures," he said. "The fact is that we're going to get hammered for some of those things. But you've got to try things to get better."

http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/2008/12/04/20081204mr-police1205.html

[cyberiot]

Increasing joblessness leads state to hire 45

by Craig Harris - Dec. 4, 2008 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

With a backlog of unemployment claims rising, the state Department of Economic Security said Wednesday that it is hiring 45 workers to speed up the process of getting unemployment money to out-of-work Arizonans.

"We understand how important these funds are to people," said Pat Harrington, a DES assistant director who oversees the unemployment-insurance program.

Harrington said all of the new jobs would be located in Phoenix, and he expects the new employees to start work in early January. The pay is $25,844 a year, and the seasonal full-time jobs don't include benefits.

The department currently has 184 employees dedicated to unemployment benefits. The positions are exempt from the state hiring freeze because they are federally funded, Harrington said.

In November, as unemployment claims continued to rise amid a struggling economy, the state said some jobless Arizonans were waiting nearly a month instead of the usual 10 days to receive their first unemployment benefits.

In Arizona, the maximum weekly unemployment benefit is $240, the third-lowest amount in the country. Only Alabama ($235) and Mississippi ($210) pay less, according to DES. State legislatures set unemployment-benefit limits.

Typically, benefits last 26 weeks, but with two extensions passed by Congress they now last up to 46 weeks.

Harrington said there still are delays in issuing benefits because the number of new claims has more than doubled from a year ago and about 70 percent of new filings have an issue, such as a dispute from an employer over whether a person was laid off and is entitled to unemployment benefits.

Harrington said those claims may take a month or longer to process. If there are no problems with a claim, an applicant should receive benefits in about nine business days, he said.

Last month, the number of new claims was about 9,200 a week, with a high of 11,502 the week of Nov. 17, DES said.

In October, the most recent data available, unemployment in Arizona rose to 6.1 percent, up from 3.9 percent a year ago. In metro Phoenix, it rose to 5.5 percent in October from 3.4 percent a year ago.

http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/2008/12/04/20081204biz-unemployment1204.html

[cyberiot]

Freeport eliminates dividend, cuts production

by Max Jarman - Dec. 4, 2008 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

Rapidly falling revenue prompted Freeport (http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/2008/12/04/20081204biz-freeport1204.html#)-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. to eliminate its $2 per-share common-stock dividend Wednesday and make major job and production cuts at its Arizona and New Mexico mines.
The move is in addition to the production cutbacks and job losses announced last month.


Those cuts included slashing production by 25 percent at its Henderson mine near Empire, Colo (http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/2008/12/04/20081204biz-freeport1204.html#)., and laying off about 100 of the mine's workers, plus 150 contract employees.

Elimination of the dividend sent Freeport's already battered stock down $3.77, or 17 percent, to $18.08. The shares traded over $123 in June. A 50 percent drop in copper and 72 percent decline in molybdenum prices since September have had a "huge, dramatic" impact on Freeport's revenue and the company has been scrambling to cut costs and live within its means. Molybdenum is used in high-strength steel alloys.

"Our focus now is on protecting liquidity because of the scarcity of financing in the marketplace," Freeport President and CEO Richard Adkerson noted on a call with analysts and investors Wednesday.
Besides eliminating the dividend, which will save an estimated $755 million a year, Adkerson said the company would cut capital spending from $2.7 billion in 2008 to $1.1 billion in 2009.

The company said production at its high-cost Morenci mine in Arizona (http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/2008/12/04/20081204biz-freeport1204.html#) would be cut by 25 percent, and work at a recently completed open-pit copper mine near Safford would be cut in half. In New Mexico, production would drop 50 percent at Tyrone and cease altogether at Chino.

Freeport spokesman Eric Kinneberg said approximately 600 of the 830 people employed at the Chino copper mine will be laid off, starting in February.

Freeport hasn't determined how many people could lose their jobs at Morenci and Safford.

Kinneberg said certain employees will be offered voluntary early retirement and severance incentives.

"Once these voluntary actions are completed, we will determine whether any further employment actions are appropriate," he said.

Freeport earlier canceled expansions at Sierrita and Bagdad mines in Arizona and called off the planned reopening of its long-closed mine in Miami (http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/2008/12/04/20081204biz-freeport1204.html#). It also postponed plans to reopen the Climax molybdenum mine in Colorado.

Those moves resulted in the elimination of approximately 800 positions, including more than 400 at Morenci.

The company said it would curtail expansion plans at its South American copper mines, but make no major changes at its Grasberg gold mine in Indonesia.

"We're developing plans to operate in a $1.50 to $2 per-pound copper environment," Adkerson said "And we're working on contingency plans if it goes lower."

http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/2008/12/04/20081204biz-freeport1204.html

[hunybee]

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/nbc/nbcu_to_cut_500_jobs_layoffs_begin_at_nbc_news_bur eaus_102371.asp

NBCU To Cut 500 Jobs, Layoffs Begin at NBC News Bureaus

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/original/NBCLogo_12.4.jpgBreaking: TVNewser has learned NBC Universal will be cutting up to 500 jobs in a round of layoffs which are now underway at all levels of the company — television, film and parks. That amounts to about 3% of the workforce. An insider with knowledge of the situation says the cuts are expected to continue into next week.
http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/original/Teague_12.4.jpgThe NBC News bureaus in Dallas and Los Angeles (Burbank) are already experiencing cuts, with the insider saying Dallas will experience more layoffs than in Burbank. Among those losing their jobs, NBC News correspondent Don Teague (http://www.mediabistro.com/Don-Teague-profile.html) who has been with the network since 2002.
This is all part of an effort to cut $500 million (http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/nbc/nbcu_to_cut_500_million_from_budget_97882.asp) from the NBCU budget announced by company president Jeff Zucker (http://www.mediabistro.com/Jeff-Zucker-profile.html) in October.
Last month, TVNewser reported (http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/nbc/nbc_news_expected_to_offer_buyouts_to_virtually_ev eryone_99956.asp) the network was offering buyouts to "virtually everyone." If enough employees did not accept the offer, layoffs were to be the next step.
...Developing...
> Update: Los Angeles correspondents John Larson (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3949198/), who reported for many years for Dateline and Mark Mullen (http://www.mediabistro.com/Mark-Mullen-profile.html), who just returned to Burbank after a nearly two-year reporting run (http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/nbc/nbc_assigns_mark_mullen_to_beijing_fritz_von_klein _becomes_se_asia_bureau_chief_38639.asp) for NBC in Beijing, are among the cuts. As many as seven people in Burbank have been let go, including Heather Allan (http://www.mediabistro.com/Heather-Allen-profile.html) who's been with NBC more than 30 years. Allan was the bureau chief for NBC News special events which involved coordinating Olympics coverage for the news division.

[Falls_Tech]

Just heard on local news that Mittal Steel (Cleveland) is laying off 450....

[John Free]

My major and supporting client that I subcontracted for has closed their e-business franchises and is laying off it's entire fulfillment staff. New Balance has terminated my services along with anyone connected with their retail web business franchises.

Learned of this on Tuesday.

This may well kill us here at home as most of the B2B marketing and advertising industry is in complete collapse. Ad revenues are near record lows for most publications and few are needing advertising artwork as ad budgets are cut to nothing.

I started my biz during the recession of 1990 after getting laid off from an ad agency, and the climate out there now it TOTALLY different than it was then. It is downright frightening today.

I may end up doing a stint as a Walmart Greeter for awhile - until even that disappears.

Lifting you up INVAR....May the Lord lead and guide you in your job search.

JF

[Jeffrey Thomason]

Just heard on local news that Mittal Steel (Cleveland) is laying off 450....

Yep, my dad got hit by it: http://blog.cleveland.com/business/2008/12/arecelormittal_to_lay_off_340.html


ArcelorMittal to lay off 340 Cleveland steelworkers

Posted by rroguski (http://blog.cleveland.com/business/about.html) December 04, 2008 16:07PM

http://blog.cleveland.com/business/2008/12/large_05fSTEELb.jpg

Thomas Ondrey/The Plain Dealer Steelworkers cross the grounds of ArcelorMittal's steel plant in the Flats on Thursday. The steelmaker will begin laying off workers Friday.

Updated at 6:04 p.m. In the latest blow from the global economic downturn, 340 ArcelorMittal steelworkers will lose their jobs by week's end, a result of steel orders that have reached a low ebb worldwide.

An additional 110 hourly workers voluntarily accepted layoffs, bringing to 450 the number of United Steelworkers union members idled. "Nobody's buying steel, so it doesn't make sense to make it and let is just sit there," said Dan Boone, 55, who has worked at the plant for 36 years under various owners. Republic Steel once operated the facility, then LTV and now the world's largest steelmaker, ArcelorMittal, based in Luxembourg.
Boone, a resident of Strongsville and vice president of USW Local 979, said this is the first time since fall 2001 that both blast furnaces have been out of operation. The previous time was when LTV shut down the plant and then went out of business. The company can't make iron if the furnaces are not operating.

ArcelorMittal employs 1,445 union members, but many of the remaining 995 jobs could be under threat if the global giant confronts a long period of slow demand, said the local's president, Mark Granakis.
Granakis said he received a letter from Terry Fedor, plant general manager, informing him of the latest worker cutbacks.
"In this case, we can't say it's a matter of mismanagement or that the company is going to close permanently," Granakis said in his office at the union hall. "It's just the business climate right now."
Fedor did not personally return calls, but a spokeswoman from ArcelorMittal's Chicago office did offer some information.
The company "is being forced to respond to the extraordinary economic environment we are facing," the spokeswoman said in an e-mail. "We will be carefully monitoring the situation, and we look forward to many of our employees' returning to work as soon as it is warranted by market conditions,"
The company said in recent weeks that it expects its Cleveland furnaces to remain cold well into 2009.
ArcelorMittal also recently announced a 40 percent reduction in North American production and 35 percent globally.
Some laid-off workers will continue to receive portions of their wages, depending upon years of union membership. Those in the most-senior category, with more than 30 years, are eligible for up to 80 percent of wages for six months.
Steelworkers at the plant earn between $17.36 an hour and $23.40, depending on their job assignments and years of service.
Senior laid-off workers also can receive health benefits for as long as 30 months, if the layoff lasts that long. Other workers, including more than 20 hired in recent months, will receive a salary and benefits only until the end of December," Granakis said. "Then they're on their own," he said.
"I'd hate to have to go home and tell my wife that I had just been laid off at this time of year," Granakis said.
Few expect the plant to remain idle beyond 2009, though Granakis said, "No one knows for sure."
He expects that in time, the nation's financial crisis will heal enough so that consumers and businesses will be able to borrow money for durable goods.
"Eventually, people will be able to buy washers and dryers and cars again, and when they start doing that, demand for steel might grow very steeply."
Granakis, a 38-year steelworker, said he is optimistic about the plant's future in Cleveland though unsure of when demand for steel may begin to grow.

[Navajo]

I have to lay off 1/3* of my work force at a local site tommorow.




Sucks big time!







*OK, one guy out of three. But 1/3 sounded bigger than one guy...

Still sucks!

[Falls_Tech]

Just heard that Amtrust bank (cleveland) is laying off 100 people in IT. They've been taken over by regulators so this is probably just the begining. Regulators said that Amtrust engaged in 'unsafe and unsound banking practices'. Or something similar....

[EJS]

Wed Dec 3, 2008 6:30pm EST

http://www.reuters.com/article/hotStocksNews/idUSTRE4B28D920081203


SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Adobe Systems Inc (ADBE.O: Quote (http://www.reuters.com/stocks/quote?symbol=ADBE.O), Profile (http://www.reuters.com/stocks/companyProfile?symbol=ADBE.O), Research (http://www.reuters.com/stocks/researchReports?symbol=ADBE.O), Stock Buzz (http://reuters.socialpicks.com/stock/r/ADBE)) on Wednesday lowered is revenue outlook and said it will eliminate 600 jobs, or around 8 percent of its workforce, due to the weak economy, sending its stock down 7 percent in extended trading.

"The global economic crisis significantly impacted our revenue during the fourth quarter," said Shantanu Narayen, the company's chief executive, in a statement. "We have taken action to reduce our operating costs and fine-tune the focus of our resources on key strategic priorities."

Adobe spokeswoman Jodi Sorensen said it would be an across-the-board headcount reduction, impacting all geographic regions and company divisions.

The maker of Acrobat Reader, Flash and Photoshop software took its revenue outlook for the fiscal fourth-quarter ended November 28 to a range of $912 million to $915 million from its earlier view of $925 million to $955 million.

The company also said it expects fourth-quarter adjusted earnings in a range of 59 cents to 60 cents a share, higher than its previous forecast, as it benefited from two favorable tax items.

For the February quarter, Adobe forecast revenue of $800 million to $850 million, well below analysts' forecast range of $846 million to $1.02 billion, according to Reuters Estimates.

Adobe cited weaker-than-expected demand for its new Creative Suite 4 family of products, which began shipping in the quarter, as the main cause of the revenue shortfall.

CS4 is a package of tools for graphical designers that includes Photoshop photo-editing software, 3-D computer drawing program Illustrator, Dreamweaver for designing websites and Soundbooth for audio-editing.
In a conference call in September, Narayen told investors that CS4 would be Adobe's biggest product introduction ever.

The company will record $44 million to $50 million in charges related to the headcount reduction, with $28 million to $30 million of the total coming in the fourth-quarter.

Shares of the San Jose, Calif.-based company closed the regular session up 54 cents, or 2.5 percent, at $22.54 and fell to $20.55 in extended trading.

(Reporting by Gabriel Madway; editing by Gunna Dickson)

[michigreg]

O.T.-
I may end up doing a stint as a Walmart Greeter for awhile.

If you end up there, and I walk into your store, will you greet me like Jeff Duhams' "Walter"?
Sorry, anytime I see "Wal-Mart" mentioned, that's ALL I see in my minds' eye!:-D

[janetn]

GRAND RAPIDS (WZZM) - Grand Rapids-based Steelcase Inc. announced plant shutdowns, plant consolidations and further job reductions this morning.
Most North American Steelcase manufacturing plants will close for one week on January 26, 2009 because of lower project volumes. Employees have the choice of using vacation time or going without pay and collect unemployment.
Steelcase will also close one plant in Atlanta, Georgia eliminating 300 jobs there. Current production from the Atlanta plant will will be shifted to a plant in Athens, Alabama.
The company will also eliminate an additional 300 salaried positions around the world by the end of February 2009. Most of those lay-offs are expected to take place in West Michigan. Some of the positions will be eliminated through unfilled requisitions and some contract and temporary positions.
In a press release posted on the company web site, the office furniture company says that due to "overall global economic slowdown and factors contributing to the turmoil in the capital markets," third quarter revenue will be $35 - $65 million dollars less than planned.
The plans to consolidate (http://www.wzzm13.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=102410&catid=48#) and reduce the workforce is expected to save the company $20-$25 million. The company says that they are in a "solid financial condition" and are able to "weather these immediate challenges."

http://www.wzzm13.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=102410&catid=48

[janetn]

The nursing home I work at is laying off. Ive been in this industry since 1971 I have never seen layoffs. :shock: They are eliminating three to five positions in management. All we can figure is that money - ie credit is tight so they are cutting costs. Were all in shock. Still not cutting nurses, but a few months ago they cut our CENA staffing levels. they are getting real funny about OT time and Bonus shifts, we dont figure that will last after Christmas though.

I also heard that two of the area hospitals are on a hiring freeze

[MtnGal]

imrik metioned the close of a Fleetwood factory. They have now closed a 2nd in SC leaving one open near Spartinburg.

[Spike n Ree]

Hard times eating away at grocers 12-4-08

http://www.bangornews.com/detail/94509.html

Shaw’s market to close; Hannaford to cut jobs

By Abigail Curtis (acurtis@bangordailynews.net)
BDN Staff
BANGOR, Maine — The bad economy appears to have eaten its way into the food business in Maine. The 22-year-old Shaw’s Supermarket near the Bangor Mall is scheduled to close on Jan. 31, and an unspecified number of jobs will be eliminated from the Hannaford Bros. corporate headquarters in Scarborough.
“It’s not good news,” Judy Chong, director of communications for Shaw’s Supermarkets Inc., said Wednesday.

Chong would not give too much information about why the Shaw’s will close, but did say that the economy is involved.
“It would be fair to say that when you evaluate the landscape, the current economic conditions would be one factor,” she said.

The supermarket chain is based in West Bridgewater, Mass., and operates 200 Shaw’s and Star Markets stores throughout New England.
The Bangor store’s 120 employees received the news on Tuesday.

Chong said that the company’s human resources department is working with the employees to place “as many as possible” in the Main Street Shaw’s in Bangor and the Shaw’s in Ellsworth.
The company’s plans to build a new store on Stillwater Avenue in Bangor have been “placed on hold,” she said.
News of shutdowns and cutbacks may not be surprising given the tough economic climate, but the most recent monthly sales figures from the U.S. Department of Commerce seem to show that grocery store sales in the U.S. are a rare bright spot. Grocery store sales in October increased 4.7 percent over October 2007, according to the department’s figures.
“In comparison with other retailers, grocery stores probably are recessionproof,” Hannaford Bros. spokesman Mike Norton said Wednesday. “But grocery stores are a competitive business.”

Norton, whose company just offered “voluntary resignation” to all 750 employees at its corporate headquarters, said Hannaford is working hard to maintain its competitive edge.

“This certainly has something to do with the economic environment. It also has to do with being positioned well for the future,” Norton said.

The company isn’t saying how many jobs will be eliminated altogether. The voluntary resignation program will offer severance packages based on tenure.
Norton said the corporate restructuring will have no impact on more than 27,000 workers at the company’s 167 retail stores in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont. Nor will there be reductions in trucking and distribution divisions.
“We know we need to have a lower cost structure at the corporate office,” Norton said. “Once we start moving through with it, it’ll be good. It’ll be good for the company in the long run.”

Curtis Picard, executive director of the Maine Merchants Association, said that grocery stores have tight profit margins and that while a competitive marketplace tends to keep prices down for consumers, it can be hard on the stores. He said the advent of discount grocers in the area — such as the Wal-Mart Supercenter in Brewer — might be having an effect on other grocery stores.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world’s largest retailer, is planning to open a new supercenter in Bangor next year. The company reported in November that its third-quarter earnings increased 9.8 percent to $3.14 billion from the same quarter last year and attributed some of that jump in sales of food at Sam’s Club and the supercen-ters, which sell groceries.

Phil Serghini, the public affairs manager for Wal-Mart Inc. in Maine, said people shouldn’t have to worry that the Bangor Wal-Mart’s current location near Shaw’s on Springer Drive will become a “dark store” after the supercenter opens off Stillwater Avenue.

“The story is, we have a buyer lined up at this stage,” he said, declining to identify it. “We still have to close on the deal, but the buyer’s been on board a couple of years now, actually.”

After Shaw’s Springer Drive store closes, there still will be 22 Shaw’s Supermarkets in Maine, Chong said. It is the only Maine store currently slated for closure, although the company has chosen not to renew a lease on a Connecticut store, too.

According to the Bangor assessor’s office, the Shaw’s building is owned by Frost and Webber of Bangor, which did not return calls to the BDN on Wednesday.

[microfossil]

FREEPORT (TX) — Dow Chemical Co. will reduce its contract labor force in Freeport by “thousands” and ask nonessential full-time employees to take vacations from work after announcing Texas Operations will drop overall production to 35 percent.

The cutbacks would be evident at Dow’s Texas City chemical plant at well. Plant manager Charles Jackson said as production was reduced at the plant, there would not be the need for as many maintenance and other contract workers.

But he would not specify how many cuts there would be as production slows.

The production drop is set to run from Dec. 15 until at least Jan. 5 while the Freeport site — the largest chemical manufacturing plant in North America — fights to make a profit, site Vice President Gary Hockstra said.

“The current global economy is resulting in a drop of consumer goods not only here, but around the world,” Hockstra said in a news conference Wednesday. “That drop in demand has resulted in an unprecedented demand destruction for products produced by global chemical manufacturers, including the Dow Chemical Co.”

The petrochemical giant employs about 46,000 people worldwide, including 4,500 full-time employees and 4,000 contract laborers at Texas Operations.

http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=e99cb73213fafcc9

[twister]

The Chemical plant my husband works for wants to save 6.6million dollars a year. Contract workers are being laid off,not all but a good portion. Who knows what other cuts will be coming up.

Going through this thread and reading all the lay offs It's mind boggling. How are these people going to survive. It is sad.

[cdale]

Tracking Tech layoffs, check here: http://news.cnet.com/tech-layoffs/

[hunybee]

http://kstp.com/article/stories/S691495.shtml?cat=206

Twin Cities Red Cross cuts 15 employees The Twin Cities Red Cross says the economic downturn has forced it to layoff 15 employees.
It also won't fill ten open positions. And, it will phase out its transportation program over the next four months.
Dick Niemiec, Board Chair of the Twin Cities Area Chapter of the American Red Cross, said the group must reduce expenses and restructure itself to ensure the organization can continue to serve the community.
He said, "We will also focus on operating efficiencies, generating additional revenue, and maintaining a team of well trained volunteers to continue providing vital Red Cross services to our friends, families and neighbors in need."
The organization will continue to provide services like disaster response, emergency preparedness training, service to the armed forces, health and safety classes and international services.
http://kstp.com/kstpImages/system/bg/filler1x1.gif

[kelee877]

GM suspends shift at Oshawa, about 700 workers to be laid off, CAW says

Fri Dec 5, 2:12 AM
The Canadian Press


By The Canadian Press
TORONTO - General Motors Canada will temporarily lay off the third shift at its Oshawa car plant starting the first week of February in another blow to an industry reeling from thousands of job loss.
The news of the layoffs came on the eve of a deadline for Canadian carmakers to provide a restructuring plan to federal and Ontario politicians who have been asked to bail out the troubled industry.
The Canadian Auto Workers union says the move announced Thursday night will affect about 700 workers, but it was not clear how long the layoffs will last.
The line that builds Impalas at the GM plant is already scheduled to be down from next Monday until early January.
CAW spokeswoman Shannon Devine said the workers were told of the shift cut earlier in the evening.
"The plant is down as of next week until Jan. 12 and everybody is back for a few weeks and as of the first week of February the third shift is down," she said.
"It's indefinite but it is supposed to be temporary."
Workers at the plant affected by the layoff say they hope to be back on the job by the summer.
GM could not be reached for comment.
The cuts follow of thousands of layoffs in the auto sector in southern Ontario.
The neighbouring truck plant in Oshawa has already been slated to close, a move that will put 2,600 workers out of a job.
It also comes as auto executives from Detroit appealed to governments in the U.S., Canada and Ontario for financial aid to stave off the threat of bankruptcy. Tens of thousands of workers throughout North America have lost their jobs.
Auto executives in Canada have until Friday to open their books for federal and provincial officials and provide a restructuring plan for their operations, most of which are located in southern Ontario.
Premier Dalton McGuinty said earlier Thursday that he would not allow the political crisis in Ottawa to stall any financial aid for the auto sector.
The Governor General prorogued Parliament until late January after meeting with Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Thursday morning.
A coalition of the Liberals and NDP with support of the Bloc Quebecois had threatened to vote against the government on Monday, a move that would have toppled the Conservatives.
The opposition parties blamed what they say was the government's lack of action to guide the country through the international economic crisis.
McGuinty, speaking at the opening of a Toyota plant in Woodstock, Ont., said he would take whatever action is needed to protect 400,000 jobs in the auto sector in Ontario.
Federal Industry Minister Tony Clement, who was at the opening, said there is still federal money available to help troubled automakers despite the suspension of Parliament.
It's still unclear how much money the automakers may request from Canada.
However, a news report said the head of Chrysler Canada wants $1.6 billion in financial aid immediately from Ottawa and Ontario.
In Washington, the Detroit Three are trying to persuade Congress to approve a US$34-billion rescue package.

[ColdWater]

Dec 4, 10:45 PM (ET)



NEW YORK - Pressured by the economic turmoil and the mounting loss of traditional phone customers, AT&T Inc. (ATT (http://www.maximumedge.com/cgi/finance/index.cgi?ticker=1&symbol=ATT)) is cutting 12,000 jobs, about 4 percent of its work force.

The Dallas-based telecommunications company, the nation's largest, said the job cuts will begin this month and run throughout 2009. The company also plans to lower its capital spending next year, and one analyst estimates that reduction could be as much as $2 billion. The 300,000-person company has announced layoffs several times over the past few years, including in April, when it said it would eliminate 4,600 jobs, but it has been hiring at the same time. This is the first time since the company bought BellSouth Corp. in 2006 that it said overall staffing would decline.

http://www.maximumedge.com/cgi/news/article.cgi/20081205/D94SA9P81

[Wolverine]

Where The Jobs Aren’t: The Latest Layoff Tally (http://www.pharmalot.com/2008/04/where-the-jobs-arent-the-latest-layoff-tally/)


C is for contraction. C is also for convulsion. Both describe what pharma is experiencing these days. And the number of jobs being cut makes it all too clear. The trend - whether one calls it layoffs, restructuring, downsizing or reorganization - was under way a few years ago, of course, when Merck began eliminating thousands of jobs. But since early last year, the bloodletting has been particularly severe, which is only reinforced by the latest cuts by Wyeth and Schering-Plough. The list, by the way, includes both cuts recently made and those forthcoming.
Of course, C is also for collateral damage. This list doesn’t count all the layoffs in the supporting industries and vendors: advertising agencies, marketing companies, med-ed agencies, printing companies, mail houses, and venues for education and promotional meetings. As one reader reminded us last year - imagine the layoffs at companies that provided all the pens, coffee cups, clocks, notepads, baseball caps, tote bags, and backpacks that are given to docs. To quote that loyal reader: “This is not your father’s pharma industry, and never will be again.”
Have we forgotten anyone? Please tell us, because we will update:
1. Pfizer - 10,000 jobs
2. AstraZeneca - 7,600 jobs
3. Bayer - 6,100 jobs
4. Schering-Plough - 5,500 jobs
5. Wyeth - 5,000 jobs
6. Johnson & Johnson - 5,000 jobs
7. Bristol-Myers Squibb - 4,300 jobs
8. Novartis - 3,750 jobs
9. Amgen - 2,600 jobs
10. Glaxo - 1,650 jobs*
11. Nycomed - 1,250 jobs
12. Merck - 1,200 jobs
13. Sanofi-Aventis - 1,180 jobs
14. Reliant - 600 jobs
15. King - 520 jobs
16. Eli Lilly - 500 jobs
17. Sepracor - 300 jobs
18. Ligand Pharmaceuticals - 267 jobs
19. PDL BioPharma - 250 jobs
20. West Pharmaceutical - 250 jobs
21. Genentech - 240 jobs
22. Abbott - 200 jobs**
23. Bradley Pharmaceuticals - 196 jobs***
24. Alkermes - 150 jobs
25. Encysive Pharmaceuticals - 150 jobs
26. CV Therapeutics - 143 jobs
27. Neurocrine Biosciences - 130 jobs
28. Nektar Therapeutics - 110 jobs
29. NitroMed - 70 jobs

[Lbuck]

Our first Grandchild was born Nov. 20th, his Daddy was laid off last week. There are massive layoff's now taking place in the drilling fields, Marathon Oil, Williams, Encana, etc.. This is the western slope of Colorado. There is no industry over here and no jobs. Guess this is another reason why we prep, there are 3 more mouths to feed in this family. The fall out from this is going to be huge. Many, many service company's. This is primarily Natural Gas. Wouldn't you think this is important to America too? And it's winter! Be prepared to pay much more. Got Wood?

[KuernoDeChivo]

LBuck,

This one worries me a bit. I have a few family members that work for a company that makes the big Diamond Drilling Bits for oil wells. So far so good but they are expecting thing to slow down.

[mscarolina]

AP
Published: December 3, 2008


WHITMIRE, S.C. (AP) - A sock plant in Whitmire is closing, leaving 570 workers without a job.


Officials at Renfro Corp. told the Herald-Journal of Spartanburg that they will shut down their plant off state Highway 121 by Jan. 30. Vice president of manufacturing Norman Smith says the global economic downturn has reduced demand for socks.


The Mount Airy, N.C., company has more than 5,200 employees with plants in Clinton, Fort Payne, Ala., and Cleveland, Tenn., as well as Mexico, India, Pakistan and China.


The closure will likely increase the unemployment rate in Newberry County, which was 8.7 percent in October, and in neighboring Union County, where the unemployment rate was 12.3 percent in October.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)



__________________________________________________ _____



Yes, it may be the end of SmallTown, USA. Not to mention 200 of the employees live in the town of Whitmire. According to city-data.com, in 2007, Whitmire's population was only 1,526. The closing follows the announcement last week that 170 workers in Anderson County, SC will lose their jobs in January when the Shaw Industries plant (carpet fiber plant) closes. Looks like they are not alone.




__________________________________________________ _______

Shaw Industries Closing Yarn Plant in Stevenson, AL

Submitted by WDEF (http://www.wdef.com/user/wdef) on May 29, 2008 - 6:14pm. News (http://www.wdef.com/taxonomy/term/24) | Jackson County News (http://www.wdef.com/county/jackson_county_news)


Four Hundred people get word that they'll soon lose their jobs.
Shaw Industry announced it's closing its plant in Stevenson, Alabama.
This is the second Shaw facility in our area to close in recent months, and one of the biggest employers in Jackson County.

__________________________________________________ _______

Published September 07, 2007 11:43 pm - The Shaw Industries manufacturing plant in Fitzgerald will be closed in November. All 556 workers employed at the carpet fiber plant will be affected by the closing, according to a Georgia Department of Labor news release.

[Kathryn]

The company I work for let go of all regional managers in the United States as of yesterday. Four more employees were let go in our office on Wednesday. In our city we have closed 4 offices...over 50% of our personnel. My job was eliminated so I took the janitors job. I'm hoping that position will be one of the last to go. I'll take what I can get at this point. We'll see how long it lasts.

[momof23goats]

Werner trucking, laid off allot of drivers today. my dh was one of them.

[hunybee]

oh! i'm so sorry mom!

[KuernoDeChivo]

Werner trucking, laid off allot of drivers today. my dh was one of them.

Wow..Sorry to hear that. :sad:

It's getting to that point where people have either been affected by the current down turn or we know someone who has.

A friend at work just told me his Brother's house was getting foreclosed. He worked at on of the first banks to close. They are going on 3 months with no house payment now.
It looks like the problem is compounding weeky now.

[Grannyof3]

BOONE–Western North Carolina experienced a flood of job losses in October, and the region may have slipped into a recession even before January, the month the federal government designates as the downturn’s start.

“October was not a good month for the region,” said Todd Cherry, a coauthor of the Western North Carolina Economic Index and director of the Center for Economic Research and Policy Analysis at Appalachian State University. “The regional economy has struggled over the past 12 months, but conditions noticeably weakened recently, and we are beginning to see signs that the economic downturn is hitting the region harder than the rest of the state.”

Cherry noted that the 25 westernmost counties experienced 12,000 job losses from January through October, with 2,700 of those coming in October. Also, WNC’s economic activity decreased .9 percent in October, and regional activity also declined at an annual rate of 2.8 percent during the third quarter of 2008.
During the same time frame, the national economy decreased at an annual rate of .5 percent, according to preliminary figures, Cherry noted in a press release.
“January 2008 has been designated the start of a national recession by the National Bureau of Economic Research, but it seems Western North Carolina may have stepped into a regional recession a few months sooner,” Cherry said. “The region began losing jobs during the fourth quarter of 2007, and we are actually down about 15,000 jobs from September 2007.”

That news comes as no surprise to Rick Elingburg, director of the N.C. Employment Security Commission’s Asheville office.
“Things are getting worse,” Elingburg said Friday. “We’re covered up this afternoon—folks coming in from every type of industry you can think of. It’s been that way all week long and probably the last several weeks.”
The unemployment rate for Buncombe stands at 5.1 percent, up from the 3.5-4 percent mark it hovered at for months.
ASU’s report also found that:
Twenty-two of the 25 WNC counties experienced a net job loss in October, with Alleghany and Watauga leading at 7.39 and 4.89 percent, respectively.
Regional unemployment increased .1 percent to 7.2 percent in October, 2.5 percentage points higher than a year ago. The state unemployment rate increased .1 percent, registering 7.0 percent, while the national rate increased .4 percent to 6.5 percent.
The Asheville unemployment rate is 1.9 points higher than a year ago, and the Hickory-Morganton-Lenoir rate is 2.9 points higher.

All 25 counties have higher unemployment rates than 12 months ago. Cherokee and McDowell counties have experienced the largest increases the past 12 months–4.60 and 3.65 percent, respectively.

[hummer]

Very sorry mom........

We got word yesterday that they would be cutting back at the place where I work....I have been there a long time, and many hired after me, so I should be ok......hopefully. However, when they lay off the newer ones, it doubles and triples the work load of the rest of us. One thing they are considering is that we each rotate and take a week off without pay... to keep no one from being laid off. I would definitely go for that.

hummer

[dlcamp2007]

Invar, Mom, all of you are in our prayers.

Don't forget to look at Craigslist. In our area big corporations and all kinds of jobs are posted free here because the local paper charges an arm and a leg.

Notice, reading through this thread, that a number of steel mills are closing or have closed. Fallout from the auto industry for sure.

Georgetown Steel Mill closes temporarily

Dec 5, 2008
By Tracey Amick, Live 5 News

(WCSC) CHARLESTON SC - The Georgetown Steel Mill is shutting its doors on Friday, until January 12. An ArcelorMittal spokesman says it's a result of the slumping economy. "Orders aren't coming in so there's nothing these workers need to produce", Adam Warrington said. There are 280 people who work at the mill, most of whom will have to collect disability until the mill reopens in January. Warrington says a similar lay-off in October left 190 workers without jobs for 3 weeks. He hopes the market will improve in the new year, so these 280 workers can return to work full-time.

http://www.live5news.com/Global/story.asp?S=9446341&nav=menu1431_4

[Truth be told]

The company I work for laid off 8 yesterday, we are in he medical packaging business. So much for recession proof industries. They said if business doesn't pick up soon more will go.

[louise]

My brother was sent home from the Sands, in Alberta, Canada! Since the oil is down to $47 The company has sent thousands home, and just before Christmas. People worked there from all over the country, and they have to find their own way home. No, this is not being reported! I got this from the source. You don't hear much from the Sands, at all, not in the paper, not on t.v., only from those who work there. I asked how many worked where he was at, and my brother said 50,000 at his camp. There are other camps all over the place in that area! Canada sells oil to seven different countries, and since the oil has gone down it has effected our dollar. We went from $1.10 down to about .79 since the oil prices have declined in Canada! Since Parliament was suspended until January 26, we will only find out then, just how bad it is! Right now where I'm at in Manitoba, the unemployment rate is under 5%, so that's not too bad. Ontario, where the cars are made asked for 6.5 Billion for their problems, and Canada is not too sure how they feel about that. We'll see what happens with that! Like the States, some Provinces will do better than others, as some States will do better than others.

[psalm23]

Mom and Invar, Prayers put upon you.

God's blessings be with you

Kelly

[crazystudent]

Same here, prayers going out for all of you who have been affected by this economic slowdown. There is no safety anymore outside of our Heavenly Father. Economic or otherwise.

[PeterGunn]

DETROIT -- General Motors Corp. says it will lay off about 2,000 more factory workers early next year as the U.S. auto sales slump continues to wreak havoc on domestic automakers.


Spokesman Chris Lee says the company will cut shifts at car factories in Lordstown, Ohio; Orion Township, Mich.; and Oshawa, Ontario, in February due to slowing demand for their products.

Lee says the company plans to lay off 890 workers at the Lordstown, Ohio, plant and 390 jobs on Feb. 2 at Orion Township. Another 700 workers will be laid off in Oshawa on Feb. 9.

Lordstown makes the Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5 small cars.

The Orion plant makes the Chevrolet Malibu and Pontiac G6 sedans and Oshawa makes the Chevrolet Impala.

[TonyE]

:shock:
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/12/02/delta_cuts/

[hunybee]

from the link above


Delta to cut capacity; hints at layoffs


December 2, 2008
Atlanta — (AP) - Delta Air Lines Inc. hinted Tuesday that more job cuts could be on the way as it disclosed that it will reduce consolidated system capacity by 6 percent to 8 percent in 2009, compared to the current year.
The Atlanta-based carrier's president, Ed Bastian, spoke to investors during a conference in New York.
In a regulatory filing ahead of the speech, the world's biggest carrier said domestic capacity in 2009 will be reduced 8 percent to 10 percent compared to 2008, while international capacity will be reduced 3 percent to 5 percent next year compared to this year.
The news comes as a global financial crisis hits airlines hard by reducing demand for seats.
http://images.publicradio.org/content/2008/04/15/20080415_deltacounter_1.jpg (http://images.publicradio.org/content/2008/04/15/20080415_deltacounter_33.jpg)
Delta Air Lines (http://images.publicradio.org/content/2008/04/15/20080415_deltacounter_33.jpg)

"Once again, Delta must take the necessary steps to adjust our business accordingly and make certain seat capacity meets customer demand," Bastian and Chief Executive Richard Anderson said in a memo to employees.
"These economic hurdles are difficult, and we remain committed to building our company on a durable financial foundation with industry-leading liquidity. Remember that speed wins so we will be decisive and not delay."
The memo also said that Delta is analyzing the impact on staffing as it pertains to the planned further capacity reductions and "as in the past, we will offer voluntary programs to adjust staffing needs." The memo did not elaborate.
"We are taking these actions to secure your careers and return us to sustained profitability," the two executives said.
In connection with capacity reductions put in place earlier this year, Delta said it would cut roughly 4,000 jobs.
Bastian said at the Credit Suisse Global Airlines Conference that Delta hasn't been able to fully realize the benefit of the steep drop in fuel prices the last several months because of bad bets on fuel hedges the airline took part in while fuel prices were at record levels over the summer.
Based on the current price of oil around $49 a barrel, Delta is expected to have to put up $1.1 billion in cash collateral at the end of December to account for fuel hedges that have turned against it, Bastian said.
He said that for every $5 drop in the price of oil, it would mean an additional $130 million in collateral being posted by the end of the year.
Bastian described the situation as a short-term "blip." He said Delta expects to end the year with $5.6 billion in liquidity. He said Delta is looking into several cash-raising opportunities, though he didn't elaborate. He said more details about that could come when Delta hosts its own investor conference Dec. 9.
"When you look at the demand picture for the airlines, obviously it is soft," Bastian said. "But we do have a fairly significant benefit coming to us in the form of crude oil."
Delta acquired Eagan, Minn.-based Northwest Airlines Corp. on Oct. 29. It is in the process of integrating the two carriers' operations.

[Hank_Rearden]

Maricopa (AZ) Mobile-Mini has closed it's Maricopa plant as of 12-4-08 and laid off 135 production employees. The plant made steel storage containers like those shipped from China on container ships.

HR

[DustyOpal]

HAGERSTOWN, MD - Just weeks before Christmas, more than 100 local Citi workers have been laid off.

We spoke to a Citi Group employee who said they were called into a meeting Friday and they were told 20% of the workforce would be cut.

The employee also told us at least three departments will be shut down locally, and more than 100 employees were let go.

Citi Group tells us their reason for the cut backs is the poor economy.

[klynndavid]

The Joe Ford dealership here in Portland Or has closed for good - 50 workers gone.

[freefornow]

I work for a high end retailer in PHX. We are at 60% staff levels from just a year ago. They hired 1/3 the normal level of seasonals, which have been reduced to just the weekends. They just offered a retirement package to 17% of our employees. We did voluntary cost cuts, then mandatory cost cuts, now voluntary staff reduction, hmmmmm..... whats next? Thank God we have prepped!! Thank you to all of the wise counselors on this site! A special thanks to alex jones, steve quayle, john galt, and hawk. Y'all are the best!

[grizzly]

NEW YORK – Dow Chemical Co. said Monday it will slash 5,000 full-time jobs — about 11 percent of its total work force — close 20 plants and sell several businesses to reign in costs amid the economic recession.

The company, one of the largest chemical makers in the world, expects the moves to save about $700 million per year by 2010. Dow also will temporarily idle 180 plants and prune 6,000 contractors from its payroll.

"We are accelerating the implementation of these measures as the current world economy has deteriorated sharply, and we must adjust ourselves to the severity of this downturn," Chief Executive and Chairman Andrew N. Liveris said in a statement.

[johnswahoo]

Found this on Jayski.com---someone on the website has been watching the same thing that TOL has been but from the NASCAR perspective.



The Unofficial NASCAR related Layoff Count since end of season:
(exceptions noted)
Dale Earnhardt Inc -- 120
Ganassi -- 71 (from shutdown of the #40 team in June)
Bill Davis Racing -- 60
Richard Petty Driving Experience -- approx 45
Roush Fenway Racing -- 35
Petty Enterprises -- 30
Furniture Row -- 25 [approx]
Earnhardt-Childress Racing Technologies -- 25 [approx]
Wood Brothers -- 22
Hendrick Motorsports -- 19
Stewart-Haas -- 16
Richard Childress Racing -- 15
JTG Daugherty Racing -- 12
Michael Waltrip Racing -- 12
Ernie Elliott Inc [Ganassi engines] -- 9
Joe Gibbs Engines -- approx 5
Hall of Fame -- heard many were let go this week, no number yet
Yates -- Unknown
See my Racing Schools/Jobs page for news, postings, links and more including Racers Form Support Website, Motorsports Employment Task Force and more.(as of 12-4-2008)

[straightstreet]

Hello to everyone {first post} and I am praying for all who are going thru hard times right now. I especially wanted to say hi to Buttercup and imrik after seeing their posts- one from newschannel 6 on the steel plant in Calvert City {buttercup} and the other {imrik} on Fleetwood. I have a feeling we live in the same area. My family lives in the KY Lake area. Thanks again for all the great posts on this website. I have been reading it for quite awhile and just registered not too long ago but I have never posted anything. Straightstreet<><

“Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”- John 14:6 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?version=31&search=John 14:6)

[rafter]

Our first Grandchild was born Nov. 20th, his Daddy was laid off last week. There are massive layoff's now taking place in the drilling fields, Marathon Oil, Williams, Encana, etc.. This is the western slope of Colorado. There is no industry over here and no jobs. Guess this is another reason why we prep, there are 3 more mouths to feed in this family. The fall out from this is going to be huge. Many, many service company's. This is primarily Natural Gas. Wouldn't you think this is important to America too? And it's winter! Be prepared to pay much more. Got Wood?

I wondered how long it would take before they would stop drilling. There are no jobs where we live on the west slope and DH is out of work. The unemployment office told him there was none and there wouldn't be any jobs in the future. They also said that most people are hanging around for a month...then moving on to another area of the country. I noticed in Durango's paper that instead of pages and pages of help wanted ads they are down to less than one.

[hunybee]

http://kstp.com/article/stories/S696801.shtml?cat=206

2 Twin Cities medical companies cut over 600 jobs Two major medical companies that service the Twin Cities announced Monday they would reduce their workforces by elliminating over 600 positions.
North Memorial Health Care announced it would reduce its workforce by 380 positions, in response to lower patient volumes, a struggling economy and a sharp increase in unpaid medical bills.
The Robbinsdale-based medical company has experienced a significant decrease in patient volumes during the last six months. The reductions are taking place throughout the organization and affect positions at all levels.
"Layoffs are a last resort," said David Cress, President and CEO of North Memorial. "However, these reductions are necessary to bring our staffing levels in line with the number of patients we are treating."
In addition to declining patient volumes, North Memorial has experienced a 25 percent increase in uncompensated care compared to last year. Through October, North Memorial has absorbed $41 million in bad debts, charity care and discounts for the uninsured.
North Memorial employs approximately 5,500 employees and cares for patients in the Twin Cities, greater Minnesota and western Wisconsin through its hospitals, clinics and medical transportation services.
St. Louis Park-based Park Nicollet Health Services made a similar move, reducing 233 positions from their workforce.
Employees impacted by the cuts will receive severance packages, employee assistance services and job search assistance. The last day of work for the majority of affected employees will be Friday.
The company has 8,600 employees. The reduction represents 2.7 percent of its workforce.
"We had to make these difficult changes to adjust to the national economic downturn and lower demand for health care services, which we expect will continue to decline in 2009," said David Wessner, president and CEO.
Park Nicollet Health Services includes Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital, Park Nicollet Clinic, Park Nicollet Foundation and Park Nicollet Institute.
http://kstp.com/kstpImages/system/bg/filler1x1.gif

[Buttercup]

Hello to everyone {first post} and I am praying for all who are going thru hard times right now. I especially wanted to say hi to Buttercup and imrik after seeing their posts- one from newschannel 6 on the steel plant in Calvert City {buttercup} and the other {imrik} on Fleetwood. I have a feeling we live in the same area. My family lives in the KY Lake area. Thanks again for all the great posts on this website. I have been reading it for quite awhile and just registered not too long ago but I have never posted anything. Straightstreet<><

“Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”- John 14:6 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?version=31&search=John 14:6)

Hi neighbor! http://smileyjungle.com/smilies/greetings0.gif We have good people in our area!:-D

[hunybee]

http://kstp.com/article/stories/S696622.shtml?cat=206

Mine operator Cliffs' cuts production, jobs CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - Mine operator Cliffs Natural Resources says it's cutting production at its six North American iron ore mines and one coal operation in the face of lower demand from the steel industry.
The Cleveland-based company said the rate of iron ore production is being dropped to approximately 15 million tons, from expectations of 23 million tons, at its mines in Michigan, Minnesota and Canada. Cliffs says it's also idling pellet furnaces.
Separately, Cliffs says it's cutting expected U.S. coal production by 100,000 tons to about 3.5 million tons. About 100 workers at the Pinnacle Complex in West Virginia were scheduled to be laid off Monday. The Wyoming County mine produces metallurgical coal used to make coal for firing steel blast furnaces.

[ReticentEnigma]

Tyco Electronics Automotive division announced today they will be laying off 2500 workers in January, However this figure is worldwide.
No idea how many of those will be U.S.

This announcement came after a layoff they did today.

[emoemo333]

By Nathan Layne and Kentaro Hamada

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Sony Corp said it will cut 16,000 jobs, curb investment and pull out of businesses to save $1.1 billion a year as the financial crisis ravages demand for its electronics products.

The job cuts are the biggest announced by an Asian firm so far in the crisis and underscore the challenges facing Sony, which has fallen behind Apple Inc's iPod in portable music and is losing money on flat TVs.

Sony said it would cut 8,000 regular workers, or roughly 4 percent of its workforce of 185,800, and an equal number or more temporary and contract staff.

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsO...4B816720081209
__________________

[Lbuck]

Just talked to a friend this morning and there are 42 drilling rigs stacked (shut down) from DeBeque, CO to Meeker, CO. This includes the Parachute and Rifle, CO area. It is estimated there will be 7,000 jobs disappear. The towns along the area will suffer as they did when Exxon pulled out of the oil shale production process in the region during the early 80's.
Two reasons for the scale down drilling, low natural gas prices and the moratorium the governor of CO wants to put on drilling so the deer and the antelope can play. Guess tourism, skiing and tree hugging will make up for the billions of dollars lost in oil and gas revenue.:shock:

Jbuck (on Lbuck's computer. Mine is like the state of CO, broke and can't fix it):cry:

[Ruckmanite]

I remember Parachute just after Exxon shut down. Entire town dead. Subdivisions in the foothills all but abandoned. My brother worked on a dam up by the oil shale plant for a year or so.

Bad times there. Not much else but oil and gas.

[BuffaloCreek]

Con-way cuts jobs 8%

By eTrucker Staff

Con-way Freight on Dec. 8 announced a reduction in its nationwide work force by about 8 percent, or about 1,450 positions.

Con-way Inc. says that since Oct. 23, the decline in year-over-year tonnage at Con-way Freight has accelerated significantly as the economy has continued to deteriorate. The company says the reduction is in line with lower tonnage volumes that were down 3.8 percent in October and 9.2 percent in November, respectively, from last year's levels.

The company says the work force reductions were spread across most of its 303 operating locations in North America; they included the elimination of 78 staff positions at Con-way Freight's general office in Ann Arbor, Mich.; 60 positions at an administrative center in Texas; and a realignment of its area and regional division structure to streamline management.

[EJS]

http://portland.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2008/12/08/daily15.html?ana=yfcpc

Tuesday, December 9, 2008 - 8:43 AM PST


Danaher Corp. (http://portland.bizjournals.com/portland/gen/Danaher_Corp._68935DF8135041DCAF410076C57749B7.htm l) will eliminate 1,700 jobs as part of a restructuring the company says will save $100 million in 2009.

The Washington. D.C.-based company (NYSE: DHR) purchased Tektronix Inc. (http://washington.bizjournals.com/portland/related_content.html?topic=Tektronix%20Inc) last year for $2.8 billion. It has already laid off 150 Tektronix workers.
The company also lowered its fourth-quarter earnings forecast. It now expects per share profits of $1.03 to $1.10, down from a previous per share earnings forecast of as much as $1.25.

Danaher says the job cuts, and the closing of 13 facilities, are part of a $90 million restructuring plan. The company is also freezing wages and salaries.

“Global economic conditions have continued to deteriorate over the last several weeks impacting many of our customers as well as a number of our businesses,” said Danaher's chief executive offiecr, H. Lawrence Culp Jr. in a statement. “In addition, the strengthening of the dollar against other global currencies has created additional headwinds that will negatively impact our financial results.”

Danaher, best-known for making Craftsman tools for Sears, has made a series of acquisitions in recent years expanding it both internationally and domestically.

Just over half of Danaher’s sales now come from outside of the U.S.
Danaher stock (NYSE: DHR) was down $1.17 to $50.79 in early Tuesday trading. Its stock has lost 41 percent of its value this year.

The lowered earnings forecast and job cuts were announced after close of trading Monday.

[imrik]

Straightstreet: Howdy Neighbor!

[Ruckmanite]

Jayco closing Wakarusa RV plant, eliminating 134 jobs

Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly
Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly Middlebury-based Jayco Inc. (http://www.jayco.com/php/about/index.php) announced today it is closing its Entegra Coach subsidiary in Wakarusa and will relocate production of the subsidiary's products to Jayco's Middlebury facilities.
In a statement, Jayco said the closure will take place in February, and 134 employees will be laid off.
President and COO Derald Bontrager said in the statement the closure is the result of the "cruel impact" of negative economic conditions weighing down the RV industry.
All production of all Entegra Coach products will be shifted to Middlebury, however, the company will continue to build Entegra Coach products. Entegra Coach will operate with a separate dealer organization and a separate sales and product-development team, Bontrager said. All other aspects of Entegra Coach's ongoing operations will be integrated into Jayco's existing departments in Middlebury.
Entegra Coach products presently are made in the former Travel Supreme (http://travelsupreme.com/about.php) Corp. plant that Jayco purchased earlier this year.

[Ruckmanite]

Terre Haute packager to layoff 92 percent of workforce

(Terre Haute) Tribune Star
Tribune-Star staff report
TERRE HAUTE - Tough economic times are forcing another Valley business to cut its workforce.

Hoosier Handpak, a contract packager since 1995, expects to layoff 55 of its 60 employees by the end of January.

One of the company's major customers was Sony, which has since expanded and brought much of its work back to its own facility, according to Bruce Andres, president of Hoosier Handpak.

"We have some other customers, but they're smaller and there's not enough work to keep people busy every day," he said.

Andres said the company plans to remain at its current location in the Plaza North Shopping Center and hopes the layoffs will be temporary.

He said they hope to rebuild their customer base to bring back the employees.

"Overall economic conditions are going to make it a touch challenge," Andres said, "so we don't know how long it's going to take."

[Ruckmanite]

Indianapolis Star cutting 52 employees, 20 in newsroom

Indianapolis Business Journal
By Anthony Schoettle, The IBJ
aschoettle@ibj.com
Indianapolis Star Publisher Michael Kane told staffers yesterday the equivalent of 52 full-time staffers are being laid off to shore up the company's bottom line.

Twenty full-time positions in the newspaper's editorial department were terminated, including Susan Guyett, who pens the Talk of our Town column; cultural writers Whitney Smith and Chris Lloyd; and Abe Aamidor, a 20-plus-year veteran features writer and head of the Indianapolis Newspaper Guild. Aamidor said he was one of four staffers who volunteered to be laid off.

Laid off employees will get one week of severance pay for each year they worked at the newspaper, with a minimum of two weeks' and maximum of 26 weeks' pay. Kane also announced that two Star-owned weekly newspapers, The Spotlight, on the city's south side, and The East Side Herald, will close.

Officers of the Indianapolis Newspaper Guild, which this month begins contract negotiations for about 225 editorial and building services employees, will meet next week to select a replacement for Aamidor. That replacement will serve until the end of this year. The union's membership then will elect a permanent replacement.

The union's contract with the Star's parent company, Gannett Co. (http://www.gannett.com/about/company_profile.htm) Inc., expires Dec. 31. A clause allows Star employees to continue working under the current contract as long as negotiations are ongoing.

Aamidor, who will continue working at the Star through this week, said there was a noticeable upswing in employees' moods this morning.

"There was a pall over this place the last two days," Aamidor said. "There's almost cheery relief this morning on the part of the survivors. They're bubbly with relief."

Several Star staffers said the cheer might not last long, indicating more cuts could be coming. Rumors are flying that the Star will publish fewer features sections and fold the business section inside the Metro+State section. Staffers at yesterday's meeting said editor Dennis Ryerson said no decisions have been made.

Ryerson did not return telephone calls. Representatives for Kane referred questions to Gannett headquarters, which was not immediately available for comment.

[dlcamp2007]

Most comprehensive list I've seen (3 pages):

http://www.cnbc.com/id/28142463/page/2/

[Ruckmanite]

Toyota schedules more down time for Gibson County plant

Evansville Courier & Press
Evansville Courier & Press
Toyota's Princeton, Ind., operation will suspend its production of Sienna minivans on five days in January.
Workers in the company's East plant will not be making the Sienna between Jan. 5 and Jan. 9. They will instead undergo training and exercises meant to improve quality and efficiency.
Workers in the company's West plant will meanwhile continue to make the Sequoia sport utility vehicle. Kelly Dillon, a Toyota spokeswoman, said the five nonproduction days will come shortly after the Princeton operation's usual holiday break, which lasts from Dec. 24 to Jan. 2 this winter.
About 4,500 people work at the Princeton plant.
In November, Toyota had announced several other nonproduction days. The entire Princeton plant will suspend its production on Dec. 19, 22 and 23.
These are the latest steps Toyota has taken to deal with a falling demand for its large vehicles. In August, it began a suspension of Sequoia production which lasted for three months. It also consolidated the production of Tundra pickup trucks in its San Antonio plant.
Last month, Toyota announced plans to make about half as many Siennas in January as it makes in December.

[SheWoff]

Jayco closing Wakarusa RV plant, eliminating 134 jobs

Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly
Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly Middlebury-based Jayco Inc. (http://www.jayco.com/php/about/index.php) announced today it is closing its Entegra Coach subsidiary in Wakarusa and will relocate production of the subsidiary's products to Jayco's Middlebury facilities.
In a statement, Jayco said the closure will take place in February, and 134 employees will be laid off.
President and COO Derald Bontrager said in the statement the closure is the result of the "cruel impact" of negative economic conditions weighing down the RV industry.
All production of all Entegra Coach products will be shifted to Middlebury, however, the company will continue to build Entegra Coach products. Entegra Coach will operate with a separate dealer organization and a separate sales and product-development team, Bontrager said. All other aspects of Entegra Coach's ongoing operations will be integrated into Jayco's existing departments in Middlebury.
Entegra Coach products presently are made in the former Travel Supreme (http://travelsupreme.com/about.php) Corp. plant that Jayco purchased earlier this year.


This is where my son-in-law works. He is due to stop working right after new years. Then, to top it all off, my daughter got laid off from Travel Lodge in Goshen, IN. They laid off 4 people from the front desk and some of the housekeeping staff due to the economy. I haven't seen any sign of that in the paper yet though. :sad:


She

[BuffaloCreek]

Principal Financial to cut 550 jobs
Principal Financial cuts 550 jobs, about 3.5 percent of work force as market conditions worsen

David Pitt, AP Personal Finance Writer
Tuesday December 9, 2008, 3:02 pm EST
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- Insurance, banking, retirement and asset manager Principal Financial Group Inc. said Tuesday it is cutting 550 jobs, about 3.5 percent of its work force.

The Des Moines, Iowa-based company said the cuts are the result of continued deterioration of U.S. and global markets.

The cuts include 300 jobs at its Des Moines, Iowa, corporate headquarters and 250 in 45 other locations.

Most affected employees will leave Dec. 31, the company said in a statement. Those losing their jobs were told Tuesday morning and offered severance and job search assistance, said Ralph Eucher, a human resources executive vice president.

He said the steep stock market decline that began in October changed the company's revenue picture for 2009 and a review of expenses began. Other cost cuts were initiated first and included travel, corporate sponsorships, advertising and merit pay. In addition, vacant positions were left unfilled.

Spokeswoman Mary O'Keefe said the company went to each of its business segment managers and asked for cuts in expenses, but those cuts weren't sufficient, making the job cuts necessary.

"We've done everything else we could first to minimize the reduction in employees," she said. "The 3.5 percent of work force is very targeted to maintain customer service levels and minimize disruption to employees, as tough as it is for those affected employees."

She said the company's revenue has been affected heavily by the stock market decline and inaction would have been irresponsible.

Shares were up 81 cents, or 4.5 percent, at $18.65 in afternoon trading. Shares were trading around $50 as recently as September. They have traded in a 52-week range of $8.78 to $70.85.

Principal operates health and life insurance divisions, has an online bank and is one of the nation's leading 401(k) providers. It also has a global asset management division.

As of Sept. 30, it reported $287.4 billion in assets under management.

Industry analysts have recently expressed concern about the company's ability to maintain adequate capital to operate in the current market and some have said Principal has risk of losing money from its commercial real estate investments. Many companies in the life insurance segment are major holders of commercial mortgage-backed securities and have had to write off millions of dollars in losses from the investments.

Principal's Chief Financial Officer Terrance Lillis filed documents with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Nov. 18 saying that all of the commercial mortgage loans in the company's $11 billion portfolio are performing on schedule. The company reported on Nov. 4 in the third-quarter results that defaults and losses are expected to increase over a period of several years, but Lillis said in the SEC filing that "we will have the ability to accommodate these losses going forward through the use of a number of capital management techniques."

Last month, Principal said it planned to apply to the U.S. Treasury for participation in the capital purchase program to capitalize its federal savings bank subsidiary, Principal Bank; support the ongoing organic growth needs of the company's operating units; and continue to serve its corporate and consumer markets.

The company said it has applied for and could participate up to $2 billion in the federal program, which would make Principal subject to oversight by the Office of Thrift Supervision.

Principal serves about 19 million customers worldwide from offices in Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America and the United States.

[Lardel]

The Aarons Automotive Group in Springfield, Missouri will be closing in June 2009 and laying off it's 184 workers.

[Gen12:3]

http://www.wafb.com/global/category.asp?c=4182&nav=menu57_2

Work Force Reductions List

http://www.wafb.com/Global/story.asp?S=9493080&nav=menu57_2

[janetn]

http://www.woodtv.com/

All four lead stories on the local news are bad news for the economy. Two are business closings, and the auction one is about how the tanking economy is driving more dealer cars to the auction but less are selling. Click on the link and read all three full stories. The comment section at the bottom of each story is as illuminating as the stories. It gives you an idea of the sheeple mentalitiy in Michigan aka depression central
Classic Chevrolet to cease operations (http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/Classic_Chevrolet_to_cease_operations)


Classic Chevrolet will immediately stop selling new cars, and will wind down its operation at 28th and Burlingame over the next several weeks.



<LI class="" id=0 jQuery1228884406765="111">http://media2.woodtv.com//photo/2008/12/09/auto-auctioneer-12-9-08_20081209223629_33_25.JPGAuction rings up sales for auto dealers (http://www.woodtv.com/#) <LI id=1 jQuery1228884406765="112">http://media2.woodtv.com//photo/2008/12/09/haworth-allegan-120908-320_20081209172108_33_25.JPGHaworth to close Allegan facility (http://www.woodtv.com/#)
http://media2.woodtv.com//photo/2008/12/09/car-shoppers-120908-640_20081209172108_33_25.JPGClassic Chevrolet to cease operations (http://www.woodtv.com/#)

[dlcamp2007]

Dozens of workers at the Sonoco plant in Hartsville are looking for a new job.

By Lindsay Tyner
Tuesday, December 09, 2008

http://www.carolinalive.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=233406

Sonoco is eliminating 40 positions in Hartsville by the end of the year.

In total, the company announced they are closing 15 plants, laying off 700 workers worldwide.
The company blames a lack of demand.

Officials say employees will be offered severance pay, benefits, and assistance to find more work.

[babysteps]

Two Ford dealerships in my area, one in Salem and one in Keizer, just did some big layoffs. My dad was laid off, my brother had to take a pay decrease, and my brother's fiancee had her hours cut. According to my dad, EVERYONE working in the service dept for either of these dealerships experienced one of the three.

[dlcamp2007]

A-B InBev to cut 1,400 jobs

Published: Dec. 9, 2008

http://www.upi.com/Business_News/2008/12/09/A-B_InBev_to_cut_1400_jobs/UPI-28331228857857/

More cuts likely at Anheuser-Busch InBev
InBev sells unit to gain Budweiser OK

Report: Anheuser-Busch accepts InBev deal
LEUVEN, Belgium, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- Belgian brewing giant A-B InBev announced it was cutting 1,400 U.S. salaried positions three weeks after it took over U.S. brewing icon Anheuser-Busch.

Most of the jobs lost -- more than 1,000 of them -- will take place at the American brewer's headquarters in St. Louis, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Tuesday.

[dlcamp2007]

I am not looking for these things. They are everywhere! :shock:

Rio Tinto to Cut 14,000 Jobs, Slash $5 Billion in Spending

By Rebecca Keenan

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aGZBB9OjV8CE&refer=home

Dec. 10 (Bloomberg) -- Rio Tinto Group, the world’s third- largest mining company, will cut 14,000 jobs and slash $5 billion in spending next year to reduce debt as the global financial crisis curbs demand for metals.

[Navajo]

SO much for global warming creating new jobs.........

Idaho's Amalgamated Sugar to cut workforce



[/URL] (http://www.idahostatesman.com/531/v-print/story/598994.html) [URL="javascript:;"] The Associated Press
Edition Date: 12/09/08

NAMPA, Idaho — A sugar beet refiner in southwestern Idaho is laying off workers because it doesn't have enough beets to keep its employees busy.
Vic Jaro, Amalgamated Sugar Co.'s president in Nampa, didn't specify how many of its 400 employees will be released starting in January.
He says that colder-than-normal spring weather this year reduced the territory planted in sugar beets by some 21,000 acres.
The company plans to eliminate jobs in three phases starting early next year and continuing until late summer 2009.
Jaro says he's optimistic the company may again add to its workforce by October 2009, when Amalgamated expects to again reach full production capacity.

[Stonecolors]

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/2008-12-09-staff-cuts_N.htm


"The NFL is eliminating about 150 of its staff of 1,100 in New York, NFL Films in New Jersey and television and Internet production facilities in Los Angeles."

[angelwing]

Principal Financial to cut 550 jobs
Principal Financial cuts 550 jobs, about 3.5 percent of work force as market conditions worsen

.

In Phila, they first sold their office to J F Molloy, then JF Molloy folded and Principal bought it back in 2001, then in 2002 they downsized me after 18 years, the day before they told me what a great job I was doing, then the next day they downsized me and filed 3 times NOT to give me unemployment:evil:, needless to say I still won.

I am not crying over this one, they can go down the toilet as far as I am concerned.:evil:

[emoemo333]

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE4B876A20081210

Wed Dec 10, 2008 7:32am EST

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Yahoo Inc will tell 1,500 employees on Wednesday they are losing their jobs, after announcing in October that layoffs would occur by year's end, a person familiar with the situation said on Tuesday.

The expected date of the announcement and some details were reported this week by All Things Digital, a blog covering Silicon Valley. The layoffs will hit hardest in the labor-intensive areas of human resources and finance.

The blog had speculated the layoffs would affect more than 1,500 people, or about 10 percent of Yahoo's workforce, and the source said the number has not changed.

Chief Financial Officer Blake Jorgensen said in October Yahoo would be prepared to cut jobs and other expenses further in 2009 if the economy continued to deteriorate.

Yahoo will cut its workforce in high-cost markets and hire aggressively in lower-cost locales such as Eastern Europe, India and Southeast Asia, the company has said.

The highest-profile personnel change has not yet occurred. Chief Executive Jerry Yang said in November he would leave the company, after facing strong criticism for his leadership. That change will take effect when a replacement is named.

(Reporting by David Lawsky; editing by Richard Chang)

[BhamData]

Vertis Communications closes Sylacauga Alabama plant, costing 238 jobs

Wednesday, December 10, 2008
RUSSELL HUBBARD
News staff writer

Vertis Communications said Tuesday it has closed a Sylacauga plant that produces direct-mail advertisements and other printed marketing materials, costing 238 jobs.

"It is tough on these families," said Sylacauga Mayor Sam Wright. "Why does this always have to happen at Christmas? It makes things awfully tough."

The Baltimore-based company operates 100 plants nationwide, and plans to move the work done at Sylacauga to one of them. Vertis operates no other Alabama plants; the closest one is in Atlanta. Vertis said most of the work has already been moved. http://www.al.com/business/birminghamnews/news.ssf?/base/business/1228900595119920.xml&coll=2

[BuffaloCreek]

Navistar International Corp. plans to eliminate about 250 salaried positions, with many coming from the company’s Warrenville, Ill., corporate headquarters, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Navistar, which has about 17,000 employees worldwide, did not disclose the specific impact the white-collar job cuts will have, the paper said.

The company is taking “significant steps” to reduce its overall spending, including cuts in consultants and contractors it uses, spokesman Roy Wiley told the Tribune in an interview.

The market for both medium and heavy-duty trucks remains mired in a slump, and the company said recently it will lay off 375 workers at its heavy-duty truck factory in Chatham, Ontario, Canada, the paper reported

Navistar, which makes trucks and engines, makes International brand trucks.

[Raggedy Man]

News from a drug rep this AM: Pfizer (the company he works for) is going to cut 50% of their national sales force in January! They are not going to announce who gets the axe until then; all of them know it's coming, and they have plenty of time to worry.

[Spike n Ree]

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/images/pphmst468.gif
http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story_pf.php?id=226660&ac=PHnws


Phone calls swamp state jobless centers Thousands of calls are cut off or abandoned in past week


By NOEL K. GALLAGHER Staff Writer December 10, 2008

During the past seven working days, more than 120,000 phone calls to Maine's unemployment call centers have gone unanswered or were abandoned in frustration by callers who couldn't get through.

A sharp rise in unemployment claims and a state hiring freeze mean that unemployment office workers can't keep up. Labor Commissioner Laura Fortman and her deputy are opening mail and making photocopies to try to ease the strain on front-line employees.

"Our system is at capacity," Fortman said Tuesday as she visited the Portland Career Center, where she spoke to a job-training group. "We are trying to focus on mission-critical tasks, and that is getting people their checks."

Despite that effort, it now takes at least three weeks to process an initial claim for benefits, compared to the previous norm of 10 to 14 days.

The backup at the state's three unemployment call centers is part of an overall crunch at the Department of Labor, which is struggling to help the increasing number of people who are becoming unemployed during the recession.

In the first week of December, initial unemployment claims were 3,258, more than double the 1,566 for the week of Oct. 18. During the same period, ongoing claims rose to 19,195, up from 11,791.

For the month of November, new claims were up 23 percent from a year earlier, while ongoing and emergency claims were up 74 percent.

The wait times for claimants should ease somewhat in upcoming weeks, now that Gov. John Baldacci has authorized Fortman to hire 10 call center operators, adding to the 18 workers already there.

The workers' salaries and benefits are fully funded by the federal government.
These workers are the point of contact -- along with the state Web site -- for those seeking new unemployment benefits.

The call system allows for several people to be placed on hold simultaneously, but after a certain number are in the queue, a recording tells callers that all lines are full and to call back later. The automated system then disconnects the line.

That's what happened repeatedly to Elisabeth Wyrwicz , a 26-year-old Portland woman who was laid off from a furniture company in August.

"I could never, ever get through," Wyrwicz said. "I did that for three or four days last week. I needed a lot of help and was trying to figure out if I'd be eligible."

According to call center statistics, there were 130,716 abandoned calls in November, almost double the 69,025 from a month earlier. There are already more than 120,000 abandoned calls so far this month.

Michelle Ditmars, laid off when a Scarborough photo processing lab closed last year, said she called the center 50 times in recent days.

"I actually counted it. Last week, I called 38 times. I called 12 times yesterday," said Ditmars, 39, who has a 14-year-old daughter and has been taking Web design courses to improve her job skills. "My questions are really simple. I just needed two minutes. It's so frustrating."

The problem is bad enough that the department's Web site has an advisory, in red letters, about call-center delays, advising people to call midweek and in the afternoon, and urging them to file claims online.
Maine is not alone in seeing delays.

Other states reporting backlogs in processing unemployment claims include Tennessee, New Jersey, Arizona and Pennsylvania. Most of those states have hired additional workers to speed claims, according to published reports. Massachusetts has begun to offer Saturday hours to those filing for benefits.

The 18 call center operators in Maine take calls for about four hours a day and process claims during the remaining time, Fortman said. A year ago, there were 30 people at the call centers; five years ago, there were more than 60 people, she said.

The entire unemployment processing division of the Maine Department of Labor is federally funded, from benefits to computers to workspace. But funding is based on the number of claims processed, so when the unemployment rate drops, federal funding declines as well.

Now that the unemployment rate is rising, there are more federal funds available, but the department could not make hires under the state hiring freeze without the governor's express approval.

About a month ago, Fortman announced the upcoming hire of 10 workers, but Baldacci stopped it, citing the state budget crisis. The governor was not available for comment Tuesday, but his spokesman said the governor was simply being fiscally responsible.

Spokesman David Farmer said Baldacci reversed the original hiring announcement, which he read about in a newspaper article, because he "wanted to better understand the circumstances before we agreed to hire 10 people."

"There will be lots of people who work for the state government who will not have a job because of declining revenues, and we have to be very cautious about bringing people on while letting people go," Farmer said.

The state hiring freeze applies to all state jobs, even those funded by the federal government.

That money fluctuates, Farmer said, and when it goes away "there is pressure" to find a state-funded position for a federally funded employee.

"Just because it's federally funded doesn't mean the money is always going to be there. It's not stable," Farmer said. "It's still taxpayer money, the people's money, and we have to be stewards of that money."
The governor has now approved the 10 hires, after visiting a call center and meeting weekly with Fortman to discuss staffing levels and efforts to improve the automated services both by phone and online to speed processing.

At the same time, the U.S. Department of Labor is doing a needs assessment of Maine's unemployment division to provide a recommendation on staffing levels, Fortman said.

Next week, Fortman is unveiling a new online tool to help match job-seekers with local companies. But demand is going to keep increasing, Fortman said.
In October, Maine's unemployment rate was 5.7 percent, up from 4.9 percent a year earlier, but better than the national rate of 6.5 percent. Forecasts offer a grim picture for the end of this year and 2009.

Last month, economists at the New England Economic Partnership said they expect Maine unemployment to rise to 8.7 percent by mid-2010.

"It's only been in the last few months, in September and October, that we have recognized a real trend of a significant increase in claims," Fortman said.
The recent surge in claims has "everybody doing everything they can" at the department to speed processing and payments, she said.

All of the extra work has given her a different perspective on what unemployed Mainers are going through, she said.

"It's heartbreaking. People are hurting," Fortman said, as she teared up and struggled to control her voice. "We are doing everything that we can to get them their checks as soon as we can."

In Maine, the maximum weekly unemployment payment is $344, with an additional $10 per dependent. The average weekly payment is $268. Typically, benefits last 26 weeks, but with two extensions passed by Congress, they now can last up to 46 weeks.

The increase in demand is being felt at the department's career centers, too. There are 21 in the state, where people can attend job skill-building training sessions, use computers or phones and meet with counselors. The workers at the career centers do not process any unemployment forms, but they can assist people filing online or by mail.

John Bouchard, manager of the Portland career center for 11 years, said there has been a big increase in visitors in recent months.

"Our traffic has increased significantly," he said. Weekly networking sessions that had 25 people over the summer have doubled. A session on Tuesday at the Portland office was standing room only. There is frequently a waiting list for the center's 15 computers, and he is ordering four more computers to ease the strain.

At the same time, the federally funded center is having to do more without additional workers, because of the state hiring freeze. The center currently has six employees, down from previous staffing levels. He declined to say how many workers the center had in the past.

"We are attempting to do more with less," Bouchard said. To accommodate the increased demand, the center has increased workshops and group sessions instead of having employees work one on one with clients.

[leforstx]

Local tv said BNSF railroad is cutting 85 jobs in Amarillo, TX.

[Texas Rose]

These are stories that were in the local paper:

http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/local/Advantage_Rent_A_Car_seeks_bankruptcy_protection.h tml


Advantage Rent A Car has filed for bankruptcy protection and has laid off about half of the staff at its San Antonio headquarters as part of a larger downsizing brought on by the nation's ongoing economic crisis. The company filed a petition for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in Minnesota earlier this week at the same time it announced a new round of consolidations that would cost about 440. Advantage employees their jobs. It also will close 21 Advantage rental locations once the vehicles currently under lease to customers are returned.
Included in those closings will be the outlet at San Antonio International Airport, the only retail facility in the city. Jon Austin, an Advantage spokesman, said about 70 of the 140 employees at Advantage's headquarters also have lost their jobs as the company has sliced its payroll to 460 people.





http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/local/Office_Depot_cutting_112_stores_2200_jobs.html



Office Depot Inc. will close about 9 percent of its North American stores and cut 2,200 jobs during the next three months while planning to open fewer locations next year in an effort to cut costs.
The plan to shutter 112 stores will reduce the chain's base to 1,163. It plans to close 45 stores in the Central U.S., 40 in the Northeast and Canada, 19 in the West and eight in the South.

[BuffaloCreek]

Bank of America (BAC: 14.91, -1.78, -10.67%) is the latest in a growling lengthy list of financial services companies to announce steep layoffs.

The bank said Thursday it plans on slashing 30,000 to 35,000 positions over the next three years.

“The reductions are designed to eliminate redundancies created as a result of the merger with Merrill Lynch and to reflect the current recessionary environment,” the company said in a release.

The company said it would provide more specific details at a later date, but the cuts will be broad and come from both Bank of America and Merrill Lynch.

Bank of America announced plans to acquire Merrill Lynch in September. Shareholders approved the merger last week.

Bank of America shares – which are off 64% for the year – edged higher in after-market trading after sliding 11% in regular trading.

[curlysue]

News from a drug rep this AM: Pfizer (the company he works for) is going to cut 50% of their national sales force in January! They are not going to announce who gets the axe until then; all of them know it's coming, and they have plenty of time to worry.

ALL drug reps locally are (as of 1/01/09) will no longer be giving out free stuff. How in the world is staff going to be able to document without the free pens?

[curlysue]

Update: Plant Closing, but No Ch.11 for Dalton Corp.

Published December 11, 2008

Gray iron foundry to close Indiana plant


Dalton Corp., based in Warsaw, IN, has not filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy claim as previously reported. According to a release from the company, Dalton parent Neenah Enterprises Inc. will close the Dalton foundry in Kendallville, IN, in early March 2009.

“The decision to close the facility was made due to the pressures of an overall weak economy and the particularly difficult economic issues facing the foundry industry and manufacturing in general,” according to the statement. While acknowledging “the outstanding efforts of the excellent workforce at the Kendallville facility,” it added its regrets about job losses at the plant and the effects on the community there.

About 200 workers would be affected by the closing, according to local news reports.

A holding of Neenah Foundry Corp. since 1998, Dalton Corp. has its main plant in Warsaw, and the second operation in Kendallville. Their total capacity is about 200,000 tons/year.

Dalton also operates a machining plant in Stryker, OH. Its products are gray iron castings ranging from 5 lb. to 600 lb., for air conditioning and refrigeration systems, automotive engines and gear boxes, stationary transmissions and heavy-duty truck transmissions.

http://foundrymag.com/news/news/83302/update_plant_closing_but_no_ch11_for_dalton_corp_

[irisheyes]

..

[DustyOpal]

HAGERSTOWN, MD - As Volvo Powertrain cuts production on Mack and Volvo trucks along with Prevost buses, jobs are being cut as well.

The company is still deciding how many people will be laid off. They're in talks with the United Auto Workers Union.

The Hagerstown plant employs nearly 1,300 people.

Read More...

http://your4state.com/content/fulltext/?cid=43841

[hunybee]

Ainsworth Lumber extends shutdown of Minn. plants http://kstp.com/article/stories/S703612.shtml?cat=1

BEMIDJI, Minn. (AP) - Ainsworth Lumber Co. has extended the shutdown of its oriented strand board plants in Bemidji and Cook into the foreseeable future, putting 280 people out of work.
Bruce Rose is Ainsworth vice president for corporate development. He cites the lack of new housing starts as the cause for the indefinite closures.
He says when it comes to residential building, the industry is in a depression. Ainsworth officials are now holding severance meetings with employees.
The Vancouver-based company ordered a temporary shutdown of the plants in the fall. Rose says demand for their plywood-like products have weakened even more since then.
Ainsworth also permanently closed the Grand Rapids plant in August.
Rose says the Bemidji and Cook plants will be kept heated and secured and the equipment maintained with hopes of reopening when the economy improves

[hunybee]

UTac: More Layoffs Possible
http://www.wdio.com/article/stories/S698621.shtml?cat=10335

United Taconite Steelworkers have been informed that the number of potential layoffs at the end of January, has gone up from about 70, to about 90.
Parent company Cliffs Natural Resources had notified the union last month about the potential for layoffs. Right now, the employees are on a 32-hour work week, and one of their two production lines have been idled.
Even with the 90 layoffs coming, there could be more in May. Those would be operations workers who could be off the job, while major repairs are made to a production line.
Union leaders are happy the company is planning those repairs, which would mean a smoother transition when everyone comes back.

[h_oder]

Not confirmed - but just heard that Cardinal Health will be laying off next week. Number used was "hundreds" but I don't have first hand confirmation

[Barqsman]

Im sure the 2500 was mentioned at DuPont already. If GM, Ford, or Chrysler goes under it will more than likely double or triple. They make the stuff that goes into the paint for those companies. My dad works there so im worried about him. He has been there for 13 years.

[AnnieOakley]

GREENSBURG, Ind. - After less than a month into operations, the new Greensburg Honda plant will cut production of their Civics. The number two Japanese automaker is facing some of the same challenges of its competitors.

Honda is lowering production by another 119,000 vehicles and this time the new plant didn't escape the cuts. The first Honda Civic officially rolled off the line at the Greensburg plant in November. The plan was to increase production to 400 cars a day, but not anymore.

Honda will produce 6,000 fewer vehicles over the next two months.

"If the inventory gets too large, it can affect the value of the product. So there is a real strict effort to keep those inventory levels appropriate for dealers,? said Andrew Stoner of Honda Manufacturing of Indiana.

Honda's November sales were dramatically lower and predictions for December sales aren't expected to be any better. The good news: Honda officials say employees won't be laid off. Instead employees can take part in training, take unpaid time off or take a vacation day.

At Greensburg's Storie's Restaurant, talk often turns to the state of the economy while eating a home-cooked meal. The Honda plant brought new growth to the area and with the news of production cuts, residents are concerned.

"They just got one shift going. I didn't think it would happen. But I can understand now,? said Al Knecht, a Greensburg resident.

Angela Sallee has worked in the automotive industry for 19 years. She constantly worries about job security. Her daughter just got laid off.

"Single mom, trying to make it on her own. Never dreamed that we'd ever have to face this,? said Sallee.

Honda officials said more production cuts could be on the horizon.


http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/New_Honda_plant_not_immune_to_cuts

[Dyslexic Lunatic]

The more corporate layoffs, the better. People need to work within the free enterprise system--primarily small business. To hell with corporate conglomerates the likes of Ford, GE, Home Depot, and the like. Small business is the foundation of this country's system of economics. Large corporations are parasitic and collude with government to create cartels and curtail small business.

[AnnieOakley]

SPECIAL REPORT:LOCAL IMPACT OF GLOBAL MELTDOWN

RP banks, investment firms, even exporters are forecast to weather the storm but labor sector will suffer



50,000 to 100,000 OFWs could lose jobs

BY FEDERICO M. MACARANAS SPECIAL TO THE MANILA TIMES

THE forecasts of the global economic conditions are deteriorating faster as the United States brings down the European and Japanese economies in 2009.

Yes, the cooling down in 2008 is expected to worsen through the next quarters of next year, but many analysts point to late 2009 as the beginning of an uptick in the real economy.

The latest World Bank forecast of Philippine real GDP growth is between 4 percent to 4.5 percent in 2008, and 3.5 percent in 2009, and back again to 4 percent to 4.5 percent in 2010.

The Asian Development Bank has just revised its 2008 growth forecast to 4.5 percent (down from its earlier 6-percent projection) and 3.5 percent in 2009.

Consumer spending growth will slow down; so will private sector investment.

The already low foreign direct investment will grow under 1 percent in 2009 and even lower in 2010 at 0.3 percent.

Government pump priming is likely to be recoursed and early election spending will boost local businesses (printing, transport, retail food, public relations, media advertising, etc.).

Trade too will register lower growth, exports at 2 percent and imports at 1.9 percent in 2009, picking up to 3.8 percent and 4.5 percent, respectively, in 2010 as per the World Bank.

Impacts

First to be impacted are about 50,000 (even up to 100,000 in the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) worst-case scenario) Filipinos working in countries already hit by credit crunches and other financial problems that have translated to slower production and hence to layoffs.

Because many overseas Filipinos hold vital jobs, some are not given termination notices; moreover, the Filipino worker is adaptable and flexible (documented in the yearly surveys of the Institute for International Management Development in Switzerland for some 60 countries).

Job opportunities are also open in Canada (Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, etc.) as per DOLE and the Department of Foreign Affairs, but more doubtfully in Australia, New Zealand, France and Sweden reported in a recent AIM Policy Center forum on “Reintegrating Displaced Workers into the Local Economies.”

These countries are already in recessionary stages. Better business intelligence is needed to provide early warning signals to planners in the country.

Next to be impacted are those engaged in foreign trade, especially exporters that cannot immediately respond to changing consumer needs (modularized and knockdown furniture for smaller apartments, cheaper apparel and processed foods).

The US is the largest buyer of Philippine furniture, getting 60 percent of exports. The declining demand of US consumers for houseware and furniture would have an impact on the exports of Philippine products.

In 2007, nearly 80 percent of Philippine garments exports, valued at $1.7 billion, went to the US. Trouble will begin next year if no preemptive action like looking for other markets will be taken.

Suppliers in the international supply chain—like agricultural raw materials and electronics—will be affected. The electronics industry that accounts for about two-thirds of all Philippine exports is now bracing for no growth at all.

In agriculture, corn will be a bonanza. This is reflected in the P1-billion financing aid from South Korea for post-harvest facilities and two bulk grains terminals in Mindanao and Cagayan Valley. To hike production, the Department of Agriculture will open 75,000 hectares of new cornfields.

On another positive note, as cost-cutting strategies are implemented by American, European and Japanese firms, the business process outsourcing industry of the Philippines will gain clients.

These clients range from the banking and financial sector that have been bailed out but must show better bottom lines with more cost-efficient operations.

A note on electronics trade with Japan: the Japan External Trade Organization (Jetro) says that 10 percent of Philippine exports to Japan are in electronics, but they lag behind the rest of Southeast Asia in terms of growth through August 2008.

“The end-market demand of Japan is the US,” says Semiconductors and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Chairman Arthur J. Young.

India appears to be a good alternative market. Semiconductors were the sixth-biggest Philippine export to India in 2006 and cornered a 4.72-percent share of total exports to India that year, bringing in $5.673 million.

Banks, insurance, investment funds

Philippine banks are sound and stable, says Amando Tetangco, head of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

The Philippines has no solvency issue as we learned our lesson in 1997, according to Nestor Espenilla Jr., BSP deputy governor for bank supervision and examination.

Seven local banks exposed to the bankrupt Lehman Brothers can withstand the financial shakeout, as the amount exposed will not exceed 1 percent of their total assets.

Compared to South Korea and Taiwan, with $720-million and $2.5-billion exposure to Lehman, respectively, Philippine banks’ exposure to Lehman is much less, valued at $386 million.

The local insurance industry is resilient and stable enough to weather the crisis abroad, according to the Insurance Commission.

As for investment funds, “the Philippines remains protected from complications arising from events in both US and Europe because investment is limited, and that the banking industry continues to be awash in cash,” said Espenilla.

“Domestic financial institutions secure funds from local sources instead of international capital markets as what was the practice of foreign banks,” he said.

(Dr. Federico M. Macaranas is the Executive Director of the Asian Institute of Management Policy Center.)

http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/dec/14/yehey/top_stories/20081214top1.html

[curlysue]

Kongsberg Automotive Announces Restructuring of North American Operations, to cut about 205 jobs

(RTTNews) - Kongsberg Automotive (KGAUF.PK), a supplier of automotive, commercial and industrial products, announced that they are restructuring their production operations in North America.

The company said that the production at their Van Wert, Ohio facility would be transferred to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico facility. The closure of facility, which is expected sometime in the summer of 2009, will affect approximately 105 jobs within the Van Wert facility, Kongsberg Automotive noted.

Also, the company said that the production at the Haysville, Kansas facility would be transferred to Matamoros, Mexico facility. The Haysville facility is expected to close sometime in the summer of 2009, and effect approximately 100 jobs at the facility.

Olav Volldal, chief executive officer of Kongsberg Automotive Holding, said, "This restructuring is driven by the global automotive market collapse. KA, like other automotive suppliers, has seen drastic volume reductions globally over the last few months, and the largest impact has so far been in North America. These cuts are necessary to align our manufacturing to the new market realities."

http://www.nasdaq.com/aspxcontent/newsStoryPrintVer.aspx?cpath=20081213%5cACQRTT2008 12130850RTTRADERUSEQUITY_0011.htm&selected=9999&selecteddisplaysymbol=9999&StoryTargetFrame=_top&mkt=WORLD&chk=unchecked&lang=&link=&headlinereturnpage=http%3a%2f%2fwww.international. nasd&symbol=9999&title=Company%20News%20Story

[Tony from Ohio]

http://www.daytondailynews.com/b/content/oh/story/business/2008/12/11/ddn121108millerbrosweb.html?cxntlid=inform_sr

This article was in the Dayton paper Thursday, it states layoff but in fact, this company is closing up shop for good. Miller Bros. was a major employer in the Miami Valley of Ohio, my friend worked for them for 30 years and is now without a job. Fortunately for him, for what he did he will find a job with little problem. Others may not be as lucky. Combine this with the closing of GM's Moraine Plant and we're looking at probably close to 3000 or more jobs lost in the Dayton/Miami Valley area in Ohio.

Miami County business faces civil lawsuits


By Ben Sutherly
Staff Writer

Thursday, December 11, 2008

TIPP CITY — Miller Bros. Excavating, Inc. faces two civil lawsuits in Miami County claiming it failed to pay for more than $576,000 in fuel and insurance services, even as the large excavating company resorts to "significant" layoffs.
Tom Stapleton, Miller Bros. vice president, last week confirmed the company was undertaking a "much more significant" layoff than typical for the seasonal business. He declined to say how many employees were laid off.
Earhart Petroleum Inc. on Monday, Dec. 8, sued Miller Bros. in Miami County Common Pleas Court's civil division for $411,903 in unpaid bills, mostly for fuel.
Brower Insurance Agency LLC of Dayton on Dec. 3 sued Miller Bros. after it said the excavator promised to pay $164,178 it owed for insurance services but never did. That lawsuit also was filed in Common Pleas Court's civil division.
Miller Bros., 7900 S. Kessler-Frederick Road, has been in business since 1935.
Company officials this week did not return phone messages seeking comment on the lawsuits

[AnnieOakley]

Housing market supplier Deflect-O to shut Indy site, too


Fishers maker of heat register deflectors and dryer vent tubes is laying off more than 200 manufacturing workers as a slowdown in home construction crimps demand for its products.

Deflect-O Corp. said Monday it plans to close its Fishers and Indianapolis operations in mid-February, laying off 219 members of its 230-person staff. Eleven employees will remain to steer Deflect-O operations in Canada and in Ohio.


"It's sickening," said Vincent T. Corso, president of Deflect-O, headquartered in Fishers.

"This business is very much tied to the housing industry, and we've seen a decline in that for over two years," he said. "That's the issue. The volume is dropping off to the point where we cannot support the infrastructure."

Housing starts are down 37 percent in Central Indiana during the first 11 months of this year, falling to 4,353 from 6,931 during the same period a year ago.

Deflect-O also manufactures office chair mats and makes rubber hose products for residential and light commercial construction.

The company invented the heat register air deflector and also makes dryer vent tubes and the slanted vent hoods that keep birds and critters from getting into your house.

Many of its products were supplied to homebuilders, a market that has been suffering for more than a year.

Corso said he couldn't justify keeping the nonoffice side of the business going because 2009 looks even worse than this year.

"No one can really see the light at the end of the tunnel," he said.

More than 140 of the positions, including molding packers and machine operators, are being shed at the Deflect-O manufacturing site at 7036 E. 86th St.

The remainder will come from the Fishers headquarters and distribution sites. Deflect-O leased 280,000 square feet.

Deflect-O was started by C.P. Meyer in 1960 and stayed in his family until 1998 when Jordan Industries purchased it, Corso said.

Call Star reporter Tom Spalding at (317) 444-6202.
Add your thoughts: Post a comment
Fishers maker of heat register deflectors and dryer vent tubes is laying off more than 200 manufacturing workers as a slowdown in home construction crimps demand for its products.

Deflect-O Corp. said Monday it plans to close its Fishers and Indianapolis operations in mid-February, laying off 219 members of its 230-person staff. Eleven employees will remain to steer Deflect-O operations in Canada and in Ohio.


"It's sickening," said Vincent T. Corso, president of Deflect-O, headquartered in Fishers.

"This business is very much tied to the housing industry, and we've seen a decline in that for over two years," he said. "That's the issue. The volume is dropping off to the point where we cannot support the infrastructure."

Housing starts are down 37 percent in Central Indiana during the first 11 months of this year, falling to 4,353 from 6,931 during the same period a year ago.

Deflect-O also manufactures office chair mats and makes rubber hose products for residential and light commercial construction.

The company invented the heat register air deflector and also makes dryer vent tubes and the slanted vent hoods that keep birds and critters from getting into your house.

Many of its products were supplied to homebuilders, a market that has been suffering for more than a year.

Corso said he couldn't justify keeping the nonoffice side of the business going because 2009 looks even worse than this year.

"No one can really see the light at the end of the tunnel," he said.

More than 140 of the positions, including molding packers and machine operators, are being shed at the Deflect-O manufacturing site at 7036 E. 86th St.

The remainder will come from the Fishers headquarters and distribution sites. Deflect-O leased 280,000 square feet.

Deflect-O was started by C.P. Meyer in 1960 and stayed in his family until 1998 when Jordan Industries purchased it, Corso said.

Call Star reporter Tom Spalding at (317) 444-6202.
http://www.indystar.com/article/20081216/BUSINESS/812160323/1003/BUSINESS

[darkwater]

Not large scale yet, but could be...

Last night I talked with a friend of mine who works at a local hospital as a nurse. She told me that her boss and at least 15 or so other supervisors and similar staff were fired. Also, 25 people who had been hired were told not to show up as they were no longer needed. The largest hospital in town has said for a while that 200 jobs would be cut. I don't know how that is going. Worst of all, my friend told me that the company that operates 3 hospitals in town is looking at letting the smallest one go because they can't keep all 3 going. I'm not sure who would buy in this market, but hopefully they won't close. That's quite a few jobs.

[angelwing]

I just got an email from a former co-worker that the guy who laid me off of my job of 18 years just got laid-off. What goes around comes around.

[PeterGunn]

Not large scale yet, but could be...

Last night I talked with a friend of mine who works at a local hospital as a nurse. She told me that her boss and at least 15 or so other supervisors and similar staff were fired. Also, 25 people who had been hired were told not to show up as they were no longer needed. The largest hospital in town has said for a while that 200 jobs would be cut. I don't know how that is going. Worst of all, my friend told me that the company that operates 3 hospitals in town is looking at letting the smallest one go because they can't keep all 3 going. I'm not sure who would buy in this market, but hopefully they won't close. That's quite a few jobs.

The CFO of our local hospital wrote an OP-ED in the paper basically saying that if there wasn’t any new business growth in the county the Hospital’s future would be in jeopardy. Seems they can’t maintain services and Doctors on Medicaid and Medicare alone.


DHL cuts jobs in Beachwood, Strongsville

BONN, Germany -- DHL Express, a subsidiary of DHL's global network, plans to cut a combined 230 jobs in its Beachwood and Strongsville facilities in late January.



The Beachwood facility is expected to close Jan. 23, effectively eliminating 130 jobs and the Strongsville facility will reduce its number of employees from 115 to 15.

The Beachwood location is on Mercantile Road and the Strongsville location is on Mohawk Drive. Both are shipping and logistics stations.

DHL is an international logistics and express service provider.

On Nov. 10, DHL announced that DHL U.S. Express would close its U.S. ground hubs, and reduce the number of stations from 412 to 103.

This will result in an additional reduction of 9,500 U.S. jobs at DHL Express, on top of the approximately 5,400 positions already reduced since January 2008.

The Beachwood and Strongsville cuts are part of those 9,500 U.S. jobs.

[Falls_Tech]

As near as I can tell, downtown Cleveland is about to get hammered. I was just talking to a certain bank manager. She says that Amtrust Bank was denied bailout funds. Regulators have taken over the bank and have given them till the end of this month to increase tier 1 capitol. They most likely are toast. Then we were talking about PNC buying Nat. C. She says that they will completely eliminate NC's corporate headquarters in downtown Cleveland. 3000 jobs will be gone. So that's 2 bank headquarters that will most likely be gone soon. That's a lot of jobs. I may have to move out of state if I want to get back into the work force. There's no rush though. I think I'll party it up till then.....

[Fish Speaker]

Schneider-Electric North America Operating Division (formerly Square D) just had a large lay-off today. Sat here at my desk watching co-worker after co-worker being called upstarts...not a fun day...

[AnnieOakley]

DECATUR, Ind. (AP) - Recreational vehicle manufacturer Fleetwood Enterprises Inc. is cutting another 250 jobs from its operations in Decatur.

The Riverside, Calif.-based company elminated 300 jobs at three Decatur facilities in June. Most of the cuts announced Monday are from the Fleetwood Motor Home plant.

About 900 employees remain at Fleetwood plants in Decatur, about 20 miles southeast of Fort Wayne.

Fleetwood spokeswoman Kathy Munson says the cuts are because of declining demand for the company's products.

This fall, Fleetwood announced that it would close seven plants nationwide, including one in Crawfordsville.

Other RV manufacturers have also announced job cuts and plant closings in northern Indiana.

Information from: The Journal Gazette, http://www.journalgazette.net

http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/indiana/ind_ap_decatur_rv_maker_trims_250_more_jobs_200812 16758

[hummer]

Not large scale yet, but could be...

Last night I talked with a friend of mine who works at a local hospital as a nurse. She told me that her boss and at least 15 or so other supervisors and similar staff were fired. Also, 25 people who had been hired were told not to show up as they were no longer needed. The largest hospital in town has said for a while that 200 jobs would be cut. I don't know how that is going. Worst of all, my friend told me that the company that operates 3 hospitals in town is looking at letting the smallest one go because they can't keep all 3 going. I'm not sure who would buy in this market, but hopefully they won't close. That's quite a few jobs.


Yes...I spoke with my niece last weekend. She works as an oncology nurse in Twin Cities hospital.......said there have been lay-offs at her hospital and another in the area.....runs from doctors to nurses to psycologists.

[TorahTips]

Doc-In-A-Box is going to kill us all. I'm half way serious....

The newest "thing" is for large pharmacies (Walgreens, CVS, etc) to hire a doctor for a flat fee. The doctor then sees everyone who comes in with certain conditions (stuff that you would normally go to the doctor for). The fee charged to the customer is very small (about $15). There is no way that a regular doctor in a regular office can survive that. A "normal" visit at my wife's clinic runs about $150 (if any tests at all are done).

My wife works in a major clinic that has 600 employees. They are truly scared that this whole concept could end their business. The problem is that you get what you pay for. This whole idea will lead people away from that profession when they were truly passionate about it. The don't want to work at Walgreens as a Doc-In-A-Box.

Some might complain about the prices that some doctors charge. The problem is that I would be dead for 2.5 years if it was not for qualified surgeons who took their profession seriously. My colon ruptured in April of 2006 and I was given a 5% chance of living.

OK, the surgery was $90k (HMO covered all but $35). If I didn't have that surgeon thinking outside the box at 2 am, I would be dead.

Bob

Bob

[Pastor Guest]

http://wsbradio.com/localnews/2008/12/more-job-cuts-hit-georgia.html

The picture is more grim in Albany, where the Cooper Tire plant is shutting down.


The company decided to cut production at one of its four U.S. plants, due to a decline in demand. After weighing their options, Cooper Tire opted to keep its plants in Findlay, Ohio, Texarkana, Arkansas, and Tupelo, Mississippi.


The Albany plant employs about 1300 people, but local officials say another 600 to 800 people have jobs in support of the plant.

[Bad Hand]

My wife just received notice that everybody where she works is being laid off hopefully it is only temporary. We aren't as bad off as some because we have preped hard. This makes the 4th company to shut down here and everybody was always saying that we were different that this wouldn't happen here. Well guess what we aren't different and it is happening here, I tried to tell them but they wouldn't listen.

[h_oder]

A home furnishings manufacturer has notified state officials of plans to shut down a Grove City distribution center that employs 88 workers.

American Pacific Enterprises LLC (http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/gen/American_Pacific_Enterprises_LLC_009D7F722799497BA 75296AA69F47C79.html), founded in 1984, said in a filing with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/gen/Ohio_Department_of_Job_and_Family_Services_A6B7B9D DA44E4D2BA6E758ED737EDAD3.html) that the planned shutdown came after unsuccessful attempts to secure capital.

The 305,000-square-foot distribution center on Gantz Road houses American Pacific’s customer service, finance, information systems and administrative departments, according to its Web site.

Company representatives couldn’t be immediately reached Wednesday in Grove City or its San Francisco office to comment on plans for the shutdown.
http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2008/12/15/daily19.html?ana=e_du_pub

[CAPTAINNOAH]

I just read on www.wcpo.com (http://www.wcpo.com) thta Chrysler is closing its plants for 30 days. Cna anyone confirm the truth to this story?:???:

[CAPTAINNOAH]

I just read on www.wcpo.com (http://www.wcpo.com) that Chrysler is closing its' plants for 30 days. Can anyone confirm this story?

[bph]

Tennant to cut 240 jobs because of slowdown
Star Tribune

Last update: December 17, 2008 - 3:50 PM

Tennant Co., the Golden Valley maker of floor-cleaning equipment, said today it is cutting about 240 jobs, or about 8 percent of its workforce, because the economic slowdown has sent sales down sharply.

Full story at this link (hope I did it right!):
http://www.startribune.com/business/36332244.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD 3aPc:_Yyc:aUUT

[angelwing]

I just read on www.wcpo.com (http://www.wcpo.com) that Chrysler is closing its' plants for 30 days. Can anyone confirm this story?

Got an email alert from my local news saying that they are closing the plants for 30 days effective from December 19, no link yet

[Brotherat]

My younger brother just called, notice came today that his plant Century Aluminum in WV is set to cease operations Feb 15 2009. Will devastate that county


BR

[BUF]

December 5, Tyler Pipe laid off 300 workers. Tonight's news was that Eastman Chemical in Longview, Texas is cutting workers raises, reducing vacations from three weeks to one week, and laying off an unspecified number of contractors.

[dreadstalker]

I just read on www.wcpo.com (http://www.wcpo.com) that Chrysler is closing its' plants for 30 days. Can anyone confirm this story?Chrysler normally closes it plants fo a couple of weeks anyway this time of year.

The workers will still be drawing their pay but in this time of fewer sales chyslar will save on the lines not running and the finished inventory won't be getting too huge.

[l201_reset]

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601110&sid=aSX_uSME3d5Y#

U.S. Initial Jobless Claims Fell to 554,000 Last Week (Update1)
By Bob Willis

Dec. 18 (Bloomberg) -- The number of Americans filing first-time claims for unemployment benefits held near a 26-year high, signaling the labor market is deteriorating as the economy heads into a second year of a recession.

Initial jobless claims (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/quote?ticker=INJCJC%3AIND) dropped by 21,000 to 554,000 in the week that ended Dec. 13, from a revised 575,000 the prior week that was the highest since 1982, the Labor Department said today in Washington. The number of people staying on benefit rolls (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/quote?ticker=INJCSP%3AIND) also slipped from an almost three-decade high.

The job market is deteriorating as consumers pull back on spending amid a credit crisis and a year-long recession (http://www.nber.org/cycles/cyclesmain.html) that economists project will extend will into 2009. President-elect Barack Obama, who takes office Jan. 20, has pledged to enact a stimulus plan to save or create 2.5 million jobs.

“This is exactly the stage of the recession where businesses are aggressively cutting employment,” Mickey Levy, chief economist at Bank of America Corp. in New York, said in a Bloomberg Television interview. “I expect the pace of layoffs to continue.”

Treasuries rose, pushing yields lower. The benchmark 10- year note yielded 2.1 percent as of 8:40 a.m. in New York, down 10 basis points from yesterday and close to a record low. Stock- index futures were higher.

Jobless claims were projected to decline to 558,000 from the 573,000 initially reported the previous week, according to the median projection of 42 economists in a Bloomberg News survey. Estimates ranged from 530,000 to 600,000.

Post-Holiday Surge
Last week’s drop in initial claims followed a surge in claims the week immediately after Thanksgiving, which tends to be the busiest of the year for first-time filings, according to a Labor spokesman.

The report covers the week the Labor Department surveys businesses to calculate this month’s change in payroll employment.

U.S. employers eliminated 533,000 jobs in November, the most since 1974, and the unemployment rate (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/quote?ticker=USURTOT%3AIND) increased to a 15- year high of 6.7 percent, the government said Dec. 5. The economy has lost 1.9 million jobs so far this year as payrolls dropped for 11 consecutive months.
The four-week moving average of initial claims, a less volatile measure, signals job losses intensified this month. The average rose to a 26-year high of 543,750 for the period ended Dec. 13 from 507,000 during November’s employment survey week, today’s report showed.

The unemployment rate among people eligible for benefits, which tends to track the jobless rate, held at 3.3 percent, a 16-year high. These data are reported with a one-week lag.

Regional Breakdown
Forty-six states and territories reported an increase in new claims in the week ended Dec. 6, while six reported a decrease. The biggest increases were reported by North Carolina, reflecting firings at textile mills and furniture manufacturers, and California, where service industries pared staff.

Jobless claims reflect weekly firings and tend to rise as job growth -- measured by the monthly payroll report -- slows.

The number of applications for jobless benefits are likely to rise even more in the coming month. General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC will shutter about 59 factories over the next month as they struggle to adapt to the worst sales in 26 years and await a verdict on a U.S. rescue of the industry.

Chrysler Shutdown
Chrysler said yesterday it will shut all 30 of its plants for at least a month starting tomorrow, and Ford plans to idle nine of 15 North American assembly plants in the first week of January.

The economy entered a recession in December 2007, the National Bureau of Economic Research announced Dec. 1. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg this month forecast continued contraction in the first half of 2009 and an increase in the unemployment rate to 8.2 percent by the end of the year.

Obama may ask Congress next year to approve a stimulus plan of around $850 billion, according to a transition adviser. The amount would exceed initial estimates by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, as well as surpassing what some economists and the International Monetary Fund say is required.

The incoming administration believes the amount, about 6 percent of the U.S.’s $14 trillion economy, is needed to reverse rising unemployment, said the adviser, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Fed Decision

Noting that “labor-market conditions have deteriorated,” the Federal Reserve this week cut its key target rate (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/quote?ticker=FDTR%3AIND) to as low as zero from 1 percent and pledged to “employ all available tools” to restore growth in the flagging economy.

Financial services companies are joining manufacturers and construction firms in cutting staff as demand weakens and the credit crisis deepens.
Goldman Sachs Group Inc. eliminated 2,500 jobs in the quarter ended Nov. 28 and slashed average pay per worker 45 percent to $363,654 as the firm posted the first quarterly loss since going public almost a decade ago, the company said yesterday.

Charles Schwab Corp., the second-largest independent brokerage by client assets, plans to cut more than 100 jobs as the drop in U.S. stocks lowers revenue next year, the San Francisco-based company said in a statement Dec. 15.

“We expect to see stiff headwinds from an unprecedented financial environment,” Chief Executive Officer Walter Bettinger said in the statement.

To contact the reporters on this story: Bob Willis (http://search.bloomberg.com/search?q=Bob+Willis&site=wnews&client=wnews&proxystylesheet=wnews&output=xml_no_dtd&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&filter=p&getfields=wnnis&sort=date:D:S:d1) in Washington at bwillis@bloomberg.net
Last Updated: December 18, 2008 08:47 EST

[Tobias Baggins]

My younger brother just called, notice came today that his plant Century Aluminum in WV is set to cease operations Feb 15 2009. Will devastate that county


BR


They say that will be 580 union jobs, not to mention all the service jobs attached to it. they were one of the largest employers in the area. They were also the Utility company's third largest customer.

[EricMB]

Doc-In-A-Box is going to kill us all. I'm half way serious....


Some might complain about the prices that some doctors charge. The problem is that I would be dead for 2.5 years if it was not for qualified surgeons who took their profession seriously. My colon ruptured in April of 2006 and I was given a 5% chance of living.

OK, the surgery was $90k (HMO covered all but $35). If I didn't have that surgeon thinking outside the box at 2 am, I would be dead.

Bob

Bob

Glad you had a good surgeon and are still with us.

[TorahTips]

Glad you had a good surgeon and are still with us.

I've got another one scheduled for January 7th. I think I'm going to pass on this for a month. That will be two in one year -- one over 6 hours. That's too much -- especially when it's a 12 inch cut!

Bob

[doctor_fungcool]

12-19-2008 - Layoff Headlines

Transportation Union Loses 47 Workers to Layoff

Facchina Construction -400

Layoffs Slated for Indy Racing League

St. Louis Metro -600

Layoff Rumor: Inc Magazine

American Ordnance lays off 62 at IAAP

US planned mass layoffs rise in Nov -Labor Dept

Potash Corp. -900

IPG to Cut Up to 2000 Jobs; PHD Atlanta to Close

Sovereign Bank to cut 1000 Workers

Owatonna glass maker announces layoffs

Norwich University to eliminate 27 positions

Toyota Supplier to Layoff 20%

EA layoffs hit 1000, Black Box closing

Atlantic City Casinos Chopping Heads

Targanta axes 75% of staff -86

Kaiser Aluminum Closing, Scaling Back Plants -170

ABX Air begins cuts: 838 to lose jobs

Town of Mammouth Lakes -9

Chromalloy cuts another 75 jobs

WTNH Slashes Workforce-22

MPBN LayoffS-6

Cummins Emissions lays off 100 Wisconsin workers

Federal government lays off 1500 in DC

Alberta Oil Jobs Evaporating

Cuts at University of Missouri Could Total 100

University of Maine -15

Severstal Steel -500

Putnam Trucking -12

Mando Corp. Temporary Layoffs -200

Lucent North Andover plant shuts its doors today

Hospital lays off 30, closes floor

SUNY Press lays off 5 workers

De Beers Diamond Mine: 10 week shutdown

Montgomery County Maryland Embracing Layoffs

Ruby Tuesday to close 60 restaurants

Flandreau casino layoffs leave 47 people jobless

State of PA Loses 26,000 Jobs In November

Marriott Vacation Club, Orlando Call Center -173

DESA to Close, 431 Workers Lose Jobs

U.S. Steel: 69 more workers sent packing

Whitman-Walker Clinic -45

City of Ashland, OR lays off 3 workers

12-18-2008

Eaton Corp 2nd round -90

Genworth plans to cut 1000 jobs worldwide

71 laid off at Progress Rail

First Industrial -65

Superior manufacturer cuts 25 jobs

Oncothyreon Lays off 8

25 laid off at California Redwood Company

4Kids Entertainment Laying Off 15%

Caterpillar Lays off 814 in Illinois

Fargo ND, Case New Holland 8 week layoffs

The Layoff Kings, Who Laid Off The Most in 2008?

Harris Interactive Cuts 51 Jobs

Tenaris Hickman, steel tubing co. Chops 150

Mineral Technologies will Slice and Dice 340

Standard Furniture has cut 340 in 2008

Plug Power Cuts 90

Intermet lays off again -70

Gillett Evernham Motorsports -65

Checker Motors Chopping Jobs

Lansing State Journal -34

Alcoa -100

'Milwaukee Journal Sentinel,' Siblings Lay Off 39

Metaldyne Auto Supplier -63

Maine Public TV Laying Off 86

NC D.O.T. to lay off more than 60

Boeing Wichita to layoff 800

East Jordan Iron Works Inc. -80

Channel 12 in Richmond, VA Lays Off 7

1/3 of Lawyers Expecting Layoffs

Architectural Firm Chops 24 in NY

Textile Maker American Pacific -88

Boat-Builder KCS -60

AvalonBay Abandoning Projects, Reducing Staff

DriveSol Laid Off 241, closes plant

Yellowstone Club -12

Wenatchee Valley College -15

Superior Indus. Closes -600, Masonite on the ropes in KS

Jacuzzi to lay off more than 200 in Chino Hills

Sanminia 60-80 Layoffs

Temporary Layoffs at International Paper

American Apparel lays off hundreds

Three CA T.G.I. Friday's close unexpectedly

Eaton Corp. -32

Texas Instruments Chops 400 in Phillipines

Getty Trust -114

TaylorMade-adidas Golf -170

Edcouch-Elsa school district -200

CA El Dorado County Health Unit -29

Grayco Spray Paint Equipment Co. -150

Tennant Street Sweeper Mfg. -240

12-17-2008

Polar Tank Trailers lays off 61

Manufacturing Plant in Whitsett to Close -143

JM Eagle makes layoffs at Adel plant

Omnicom Set to Cut Up to 3500 Jobs

TRW Automotive in Georgia -200

Chrysler Closing all 30 Plants for 1 month

Office Furniture Manufacturers Laying off

Ryder to cut up to 3100 jobs

Laika cuts about 75 jobs

725 Canadian Steelworkers Laid Off

Mason County Washington Eliminates 37 Jobs

Canadian Pacific Lays Off 600

3M will close Petaluma plant -100

Myers to close 3 plants, cutting 200

Henkel closing S. Buffalo plant -105

Random House eliminates 22 jobs

NCO Cuts 175 Jobs at Canadian Call Center

Indianapolis to Close 6 schools -240 Administrators

Boston Medical Center To Cut 250 Jobs

Baldor Electric Will Cut 900 Jobs Through Attrition

Aetna To Layoff 1000

Hartford Financial Services -500

Layoffs coming for Yazaki plant, KB Toys in El Paso

Austin Regional Clinic cuts 60 jobs

NJ Hospital Laying Off 11

Gibralter Industries Closes Steel Plant -56

Children's Psychiatric Hospital -150

Heartbreak in Memphis -300

VA Gov. on Warpath - Tomahawk Chopping 1,500

Silicon Storage Technology -120

Georgia-Pacific Cuts More -50

Freedom Center lays off 17

American Greetings -275

Cooper Tire to Close Georgia Plant -1,400

Automotive Motors of Thomasville closes -104

Hockey Stick Factory Closed -30

Report: 3,800 Auto Dealers May Close in 2009

Alexandria, VA Axing 100 in 2009

VF Corp. Cutting Jobs

State of Maine -94

Bobcat starts 6 week layoff

Bristol-Myers will layoff more total now=8,000

Western Digital, hard drive mfg -2,500

Upstate NY auto parts plant lays off 216

Rubbermaid Trying to Stretch Dollars Cuts 1,000 jobs

Window Company Cutting 20% -180 jobs

Johnson Controls Closing 21 Plants in 2009

Bosch to slash production, cut jobs

Haysville auto parts plant to lay off 100

Temp Layoffs at International Paper -180

Edcouch-Elsa to lay off more than 200

Dechert Lays Off 72 Staff in US Offices

Jekyll Island to cut jobs-48

Crain Comm to Cut 50

Overture cuts 20 jobs in Triangle and Texas

Pittsville Hand Tool Plant Closing -25

Call Center Closing - all 400 workers let go

Sock maker laying off 60

Most Orlando Predators Laid Off

New Process Gear lays off 216

Momentive Performance Materials -250

American Airlines Laying off 367

12-16-2008

Emcon to Lay Off Up to 200 Employees Temporarily

Select Comfort cuts 22% of HQ employees

MortgageIT to lay off 72, close Middleton office

Agilent to lay off up to 150 at Liberty Lake plant

Temporary layoffs will idle some Caterpillar plants

Huhtamaki Plastics closing Phoenix plant -73 jobs

St. Barnabas Health Care System -52

ABX Air cutting an additional 182 jobs

Sikeston area hit hard by layoffs

Timken Co. to reduce workforce

Regal Beloit to close Neillsville plant -37

UBM: 350 Job Cuts in Second Half

Wallboard manufacturer USG lays off 35

NY Gov. Calls for 3,100 Job Cuts

Philadelphia law firms Cutting Staff

More layoffs expected at Whitehall Industries

Web MD Cutting 4-5% of Staff

Midway Games to cut 25%

Dyna-Mig Manufacturing -16

Oregon Jobless Rate Spikes To 8.1%

Canada's Biggest Newspaper Cutting 600

Celadon Group Reduces Staff -200

Magna to lay off more workers -216

Donaldson Co. to terminate at least 85

Norbord Inc. to shut plant for 3 weeks

Fiat Gives 48,000 Workers a Month Off

EntreMed cuts staff by 60 percent

Mortgage Co. Closes Doors, Lays Off 72

Factor 5 cuts 37

AMD: More Job Reductions Coming?

300 Layoffs in Kendallville Indiana

Recruiter: 40 Job Seekers for Every Job

Manufacturing: 600,000 Jobs Gone in 2008

Paper Mill Laying Off

Air Products to Cut 1,300

Kroll Factual Data laid off 17 workers

Georgia Gulf to close Sarnia PVC resin plant -40

Rea Magnet to close Las Cruces plant -75

RV maker cuts deeper in Decatur -250

Montana Contractor Goose Bay -58

San Antonio Companies: 100 Misc. Layoffs

Ontario Horse Track Lays Off 190

CP Rail -100 Temporary Layoffs

Tenneco Plant Cutting 100

Gehl Shrinking Work Force by 81

CBS Cuts Top-Level Execs, Staff

84 Lumber Has Cut 3,200 Over Past 2.5 Years

Harley Davidson -300

210 Social Workers Lose Jobs in Orange Country

City of Redding, CA Cuts About a Dozen

Gaia Online Laying of 36

Sabic Innovative Plastics Cutting 40

Nordam Aerospace Cuts 63 in 3rd Round

Yacht builders Struggle

Wilmington, Ohio hit with 7,500 DHL Layoffs

12-15-2008

San Francisco Considering 400 Layoffs

InFocus will lay off 30 percent of Staff

Grand Rapids schools layoffs for 50 teachers

All 632 Invista workers receive layoff notices

AIG Investments Lays Off 6% Of Work Force

Best Buy offers buyouts to 4,000 employees

St James Healthcare laying off 23 in Butte

More Attorney Layoffs

American Airlines cuts another 24 jobs at Raleigh-Durham

University of Toledo Chops 100 Temps

Hardinge Incorporated will cut by about 70

Trail King lays off 42 employees

NY Air Brake to lay off about 25

600 Misc. Layoffs in Arkansas

Missouri Intermet Plant Chops 36

Hannibal Watlow reduces workforce by 55

Klamath Falls Hospital will Lay Off 60 Workers

Layoffs hit SI Bank & Trust

Freeport-McMoRan -600

Colliers Commercial Real Estate Cuts 11

Publisher Macmillon Cuts 64

BankUnited Lays Off 10

IMI Cornelius Equipco Inc. Plant closing

Even with auto-aid Canada could still lose 20,000

Atmel cuts 275 North America jobs

Sonus Chops 50 Jobs

L’Oreal cuts 500 jobs in US

Publisher Chops 15 Employees

Maker of mobile "Guitar Hero" game cuts workers

Northern Trust Laying Off 450

Tampa Red Cross Lays Off Half of Staff -22

20 High-Rank Bank of America Executives Laid Off

GSI, E-commerce fulfillment Lays Off 100

Force Protection shrinking work force by 150

State of Vermont Cutting up to 35

J.G. Wentworth Finance cuts 120

Auto Supplier Citation Axes 300

Another Auto Supplier Assessing More Layoffs

KB Toy headquarters Chops 240

Lawyer Layoff List Grows -35+

TechTarget to cut 76 staff, close 2 magazines

Deflect-O Permanent Plant Closure -219 Jobs

Philadelphia Closing 11 Libraries -111 Jobs

Zinc Mine in Washington State Closing -165

Columbian Chemical Closing WV Plant -55 jobs

Sara Lee to Eliminate 700 Jobs - Outsourcing

OH, KS Production Moved to Mexico -205 Jobs

Casinos Laying Off

CAMI Automotive layoffs extended to six weeks

ReelzChannel -40, DivX -21, FuseTV -12

Viking Range Corp., Lays Off 69

Tarrant County, TX: 2008 Layoff Tally - 7,371

Kendallville Foundry Closing - 267

TrinityRail Closes Freight Car Plant - 228 Workers

Ainsworth Lumber Shuts MN Plant 280 Lose Jobs

BlackStone Laying Off 70

Danaher Corp. Cutting 1,700 & 13 Facilities

Northeast Ohio has lost 7,000 jobs in 2008

Substantial Layoffs at Yari Film Group

Mid-Missouri Bank Axes 34

Financial Woes Force Health Clinic to Close

Auto Supplier Laitram Corp. Cuts 85

Electrolux cuts 3,000 jobs worldwide

Cal Fire To Layoff Seasonal Firefighters

12-14-2008

Petty Enterprises releases at least 35 employees

Texas Hydraulics Closes - 144

Swanson Group - 201 layoffs in Oregon

Bose cuts over 100

Branson, MO Health Center Cuts 11

Panacos Pharma Plans 15 Layoffs

90 Temporary Layoffs At Wausau Paper

NJ Hospital confirms more layoffs planned

12-13-2008

PPG Closes Glass Plant -170

GM closes Pittsburgh metal plant -350

Manufacturing Firms Cut 85,000 last month

Apparel Company lays off 125

Jet Engine Job Openings Draw Thousands of Applicants

CA Car Dealer Closes - 2 dozen Jobs Gone

SC Car Dealership Shuts Down

NASCAR teams & Tracks have cut 600

Sun Microsystems Cuts 6,000 Jobs

A&E, History and Biography Channel, cut 20

Maryland State University System to use furloughs

GKN Sinter Metals Temporarily Lays Off 550 in PA

RV makers furlough thousands for month

Specialty Chemical Maker Chemtura Cuts 500

Oklahoma Beverage Can Plant Closing -80 jobs

Northern Engraving to close Minnesota plant -200

Kongsberg Automotive Plant To Close

International Paper to eliminate up to 1,500 jobs

Tampa Red Cross Lays Off 22

NY city of Yonkers announces layoffs

Autobytel lays off 40 more, shakes up management

Fairborn call center may cut 400 jobs

Adams Thermal Systems Cuts 25 Jobs

GM stamping plant in Wyoming lays off 84 workers

400 San Francisco Workers Handed Pink Slips

Norfolk Southern plans layoffs

Ceredo rubber maker closes: -50 jobs

Sandals Resorts lays off 650 Caribbean workers

Ivy Steel & Wire lays off 20 workers

Distribution plant cuts 95 employees

150 at RF Micro to lose their jobs

20 GM Plants to be Idled in January

Miami U layoffs could reach 100

More Auto Suppliers Lay Off

Tech Layoffs Surge Past 100,000

12-12-2008

BlackRock - 500 Layoffs

Union Tank Car layoffs 130

GT Solar lays off 25 workers

Sonus to cut 50 workers

C&H Sugar idles 700 workers for week

Ainsworth Lumber Layoffs 280

C-Vision is eliminating 38 jobs

Axe falls on 300 jobs at Ceramaspeed

December layoffs exceed 100k

Greenheck Fan laying off 164 workers

TXI Riverside Cement to layoff 88 workers

Real Estate Investment Firm Cuts 100

Wooden Truss Manufacturing Plant Closes -20

Idaho tax agency cuts 63 workers

Tyco Electronics Announces 2500 Layoffs Worldwide

JP Morgan Home Lending -402

2,100 Digitas Layoffs in US

NY paper goods manufacturer will lay off about 70

2 Manufacturers Slice 160

Volvo cutting 142 jobs at Hagerstown

Alcatel-Lucent to cut 1,000 management jobs

Beryllium Alloy Plant Laying Off 30

Pfizer Slashing 700 Jobs in France

Fairchild Semi Laying Off 1,100

Cooper Tire to Close 1 Plant

Quebec Shipyard Laying off 1,100

Layoffs Coming To Channellock

75 Recycling Plants Have Closed Nationwide

Crane Composites Closes Plant -86

Brake Manufacturer Closing Plant -460

Sprint: Layoffs Coming

CBS Begins CNet Layoffs

ACH Food Processor -450

GE Healthcare plans job cuts

Gary Hardy Chrysler plans to liquidate its inventory -9

Shreveport TV station axes six employees

Sara Lee plans to outsource 700 jobs

S&K Famous Brands closing 58 stores

Gerdau Ameristeel Laying Off 150

Sands Casino -216

Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad Axes 30

Orange County: up to 800 Layoffs in Social Services

12-11-2008

Company Cuts 100% of Manufacturing Workers -400

Large Auto Dealer Cuts 70% of Workforce

Silicon Graphics -225

Neopost USA Chops 240

Furniture Brands to lay off 1,400

Cuyahoga County to Cut 900 Govt. Jobs

Whirlpool Asks for 150 Volunteer Layoffs in Iowa

HSBC Lays Off 165

Timber Company Chopping 200

Steel Mill To Cut Half of Workers

MetroHealth in Cleaveland Cut 98

WNYT Channel 13 Cutting 17

Essex County NJ to Lay Off 150

Career Builder Lays Off 300

Toledo Mayor Announces 45 Layoffs

Hospital Cites Fewer Patients for 7 Layoffs

Parker Hannifin Cutting 45 Factory Workers

Syracuse China to Close Plant in March 09 - 275 jobs

Sony to Close Last U.S. TV Plant - 560 Jobs

Zeledyne Glass in Tulsa Laying Off 120 for 3 Weeks

Congressman Stupak Cites Auto Supplier Layoffs

30 Workers Cut from Bearing Co.

70 Lose Jobs at Georgia-Pacific

Wheeling-Nisshin Axes 90 Workers

Crown Group Closing Plant Cuts 40

KraftMaid Closing Plant Layoff 800

3 Indiana Plants Close: 400 Jobs Gone

North Carolina Sock Plant Closing -180

Virginia Paperboard Mill Closes Plant -52

Textron Cutting 120 from HQ

NY City Looking at More Layoffs

Escondido City Workers May Face Layoffs

ePrize Cuts 20

70 Misc. Layoffs In Nebraska

City of Reno - May Cut Up To 500

Wabash National Announces Layoffs

Mass. Turnpike moving to lay off 20

Tesla Motors Seeks Federal Funds

Wyeth Pharmaceuticals to lay off 276 workers in PR

Bombardier Cutting About 100

Gregg Industries Plans to Lay Off 25%

Brookhaven, Jackson hospitals lay off workers

Mercury Marine Cutting 160

Elkhart Indiana Unemployment hits 10.7%

New unemployment claims reach 26-year high

Gettysburg tile maker to lay off 106

TD Bank to close 32 branches in New Jersey

More layoffs, circulation reductions at AJC

RI state landfill Cuts 19 workers

International Truck in Chatham says it will lay off 479

Cameco Slashes 50 Jobs

Office Depot shuts warehouse - 104 People Lose Jobs

12-10-2008

Yahoo! Cutting 10% of Workforce

Chase Cuts 270

40 Hart GHSP jobs lost amid auto industry disaster

American National Rubber Cuts 50

City of Atlanta Cuts 97 Workers

Clairol Plant Closing 320 Get the Axe

FNX Mining -304

11 Laid off From GFB Plant

Grede Foundry Cuts 60

Hutchinson Technology to Layoff over 1000

Kalitta Air Cuts 200

Mack Truck to Axe 180

Mobil Mini to cut 135 AZ Mfg. Jobs

National Association of Home Builders - 52

Pitney Bowes Cust 128 in Software Division

Franklin Electric will cut 200 jobs

National Public Radio Laying Off 64


Major Layoff Headlines

Bank of America to cut up to 35,000

Rio Tinto Mining Cutting 14,000 Worldwide

Office Depot Will Close 112 Stores

Stanley Works To Cut 2,000

KB Toys Bankrupt Closing All 460 Stores

Citigroup will have to cut 75,000 by next year

Financial Layoff Tally 290,000

NEW! Job Trends Graphs

Fantastic Meta Search Engine for Jobs
what
job title, keywords
where
city, state, zip
jobs by job search

contact editor

Who is Hiring?

Caterpillar bringing 1400 jobs to Seguin, TX

Taylor Made Group in Kendallville, Indiana

Lumberyard builds on opportunity +6

Census Bureau to hire +1000

Nationwide Insurance +1,570

LG Electronics Opens Training Academy in Georgia

Cook Medical Hiring +50 to 70

IDC-USA Growing and Hiring +5

America’s Best Companies (ABC) +2,000

[doctor_fungcool]

I also posted this item on Housewolf's thread.

12-19-2008 - Layoff Headlines

Transportation Union Loses 47 Workers to Layoff

Facchina Construction -400

Layoffs Slated for Indy Racing League

St. Louis Metro -600

Layoff Rumor: Inc Magazine

American Ordnance lays off 62 at IAAP

US planned mass layoffs rise in Nov -Labor Dept

Potash Corp. -900

IPG to Cut Up to 2000 Jobs; PHD Atlanta to Close

Sovereign Bank to cut 1000 Workers

Owatonna glass maker announces layoffs

Norwich University to eliminate 27 positions

Toyota Supplier to Layoff 20%

EA layoffs hit 1000, Black Box closing

Atlantic City Casinos Chopping Heads

Targanta axes 75% of staff -86

Kaiser Aluminum Closing, Scaling Back Plants -170

ABX Air begins cuts: 838 to lose jobs

Town of Mammouth Lakes -9

Chromalloy cuts another 75 jobs

WTNH Slashes Workforce-22

MPBN LayoffS-6

Cummins Emissions lays off 100 Wisconsin workers

Federal government lays off 1500 in DC

Alberta Oil Jobs Evaporating

Cuts at University of Missouri Could Total 100

University of Maine -15

Severstal Steel -500

Putnam Trucking -12

Mando Corp. Temporary Layoffs -200

Lucent North Andover plant shuts its doors today

Hospital lays off 30, closes floor

SUNY Press lays off 5 workers

De Beers Diamond Mine: 10 week shutdown

Montgomery County Maryland Embracing Layoffs

Ruby Tuesday to close 60 restaurants

Flandreau casino layoffs leave 47 people jobless

State of PA Loses 26,000 Jobs In November

Marriott Vacation Club, Orlando Call Center -173

DESA to Close, 431 Workers Lose Jobs

U.S. Steel: 69 more workers sent packing

Whitman-Walker Clinic -45

City of Ashland, OR lays off 3 workers

12-18-2008

Eaton Corp 2nd round -90

Genworth plans to cut 1000 jobs worldwide

71 laid off at Progress Rail

First Industrial -65

Superior manufacturer cuts 25 jobs

Oncothyreon Lays off 8

25 laid off at California Redwood Company

4Kids Entertainment Laying Off 15%

Caterpillar Lays off 814 in Illinois

Fargo ND, Case New Holland 8 week layoffs

The Layoff Kings, Who Laid Off The Most in 2008?

Harris Interactive Cuts 51 Jobs

Tenaris Hickman, steel tubing co. Chops 150

Mineral Technologies will Slice and Dice 340

Standard Furniture has cut 340 in 2008

Plug Power Cuts 90

Intermet lays off again -70

Gillett Evernham Motorsports -65

Checker Motors Chopping Jobs

Lansing State Journal -34

Alcoa -100

'Milwaukee Journal Sentinel,' Siblings Lay Off 39

Metaldyne Auto Supplier -63

Maine Public TV Laying Off 86

NC D.O.T. to lay off more than 60

Boeing Wichita to layoff 800

East Jordan Iron Works Inc. -80

Channel 12 in Richmond, VA Lays Off 7

1/3 of Lawyers Expecting Layoffs

Architectural Firm Chops 24 in NY

Textile Maker American Pacific -88

Boat-Builder KCS -60

AvalonBay Abandoning Projects, Reducing Staff

DriveSol Laid Off 241, closes plant

Yellowstone Club -12

Wenatchee Valley College -15

Superior Indus. Closes -600, Masonite on the ropes in KS

Jacuzzi to lay off more than 200 in Chino Hills

Sanminia 60-80 Layoffs

Temporary Layoffs at International Paper

American Apparel lays off hundreds

Three CA T.G.I. Friday's close unexpectedly

Eaton Corp. -32

Texas Instruments Chops 400 in Phillipines

Getty Trust -114

TaylorMade-adidas Golf -170

Edcouch-Elsa school district -200

CA El Dorado County Health Unit -29

Grayco Spray Paint Equipment Co. -150

Tennant Street Sweeper Mfg. -240

12-17-2008

Polar Tank Trailers lays off 61

Manufacturing Plant in Whitsett to Close -143

JM Eagle makes layoffs at Adel plant

Omnicom Set to Cut Up to 3500 Jobs

TRW Automotive in Georgia -200

Chrysler Closing all 30 Plants for 1 month

Office Furniture Manufacturers Laying off

Ryder to cut up to 3100 jobs

Laika cuts about 75 jobs

725 Canadian Steelworkers Laid Off

Mason County Washington Eliminates 37 Jobs

Canadian Pacific Lays Off 600

3M will close Petaluma plant -100

Myers to close 3 plants, cutting 200

Henkel closing S. Buffalo plant -105

Random House eliminates 22 jobs

NCO Cuts 175 Jobs at Canadian Call Center

Indianapolis to Close 6 schools -240 Administrators

Boston Medical Center To Cut 250 Jobs

Baldor Electric Will Cut 900 Jobs Through Attrition

Aetna To Layoff 1000

Hartford Financial Services -500

Layoffs coming for Yazaki plant, KB Toys in El Paso

Austin Regional Clinic cuts 60 jobs

NJ Hospital Laying Off 11

Gibralter Industries Closes Steel Plant -56

Children's Psychiatric Hospital -150

Heartbreak in Memphis -300

VA Gov. on Warpath - Tomahawk Chopping 1,500

Silicon Storage Technology -120

Georgia-Pacific Cuts More -50

Freedom Center lays off 17

American Greetings -275

Cooper Tire to Close Georgia Plant -1,400

Automotive Motors of Thomasville closes -104

Hockey Stick Factory Closed -30

Report: 3,800 Auto Dealers May Close in 2009

Alexandria, VA Axing 100 in 2009

VF Corp. Cutting Jobs

State of Maine -94

Bobcat starts 6 week layoff

Bristol-Myers will layoff more total now=8,000

Western Digital, hard drive mfg -2,500

Upstate NY auto parts plant lays off 216

Rubbermaid Trying to Stretch Dollars Cuts 1,000 jobs

Window Company Cutting 20% -180 jobs

Johnson Controls Closing 21 Plants in 2009

Bosch to slash production, cut jobs

Haysville auto parts plant to lay off 100

Temp Layoffs at International Paper -180

Edcouch-Elsa to lay off more than 200

Dechert Lays Off 72 Staff in US Offices

Jekyll Island to cut jobs-48

Crain Comm to Cut 50

Overture cuts 20 jobs in Triangle and Texas

Pittsville Hand Tool Plant Closing -25

Call Center Closing - all 400 workers let go

Sock maker laying off 60

Most Orlando Predators Laid Off

New Process Gear lays off 216

Momentive Performance Materials -250

American Airlines Laying off 367

12-16-2008

Emcon to Lay Off Up to 200 Employees Temporarily

Select Comfort cuts 22% of HQ employees

MortgageIT to lay off 72, close Middleton office

Agilent to lay off up to 150 at Liberty Lake plant

Temporary layoffs will idle some Caterpillar plants

Huhtamaki Plastics closing Phoenix plant -73 jobs

St. Barnabas Health Care System -52

ABX Air cutting an additional 182 jobs

Sikeston area hit hard by layoffs

Timken Co. to reduce workforce

Regal Beloit to close Neillsville plant -37

UBM: 350 Job Cuts in Second Half

Wallboard manufacturer USG lays off 35

NY Gov. Calls for 3,100 Job Cuts

Philadelphia law firms Cutting Staff

More layoffs expected at Whitehall Industries

Web MD Cutting 4-5% of Staff

Midway Games to cut 25%

Dyna-Mig Manufacturing -16

Oregon Jobless Rate Spikes To 8.1%

Canada's Biggest Newspaper Cutting 600

Celadon Group Reduces Staff -200

Magna to lay off more workers -216

Donaldson Co. to terminate at least 85

Norbord Inc. to shut plant for 3 weeks

Fiat Gives 48,000 Workers a Month Off

EntreMed cuts staff by 60 percent

Mortgage Co. Closes Doors, Lays Off 72

Factor 5 cuts 37

AMD: More Job Reductions Coming?

300 Layoffs in Kendallville Indiana

Recruiter: 40 Job Seekers for Every Job

Manufacturing: 600,000 Jobs Gone in 2008

Paper Mill Laying Off

Air Products to Cut 1,300

Kroll Factual Data laid off 17 workers

Georgia Gulf to close Sarnia PVC resin plant -40

Rea Magnet to close Las Cruces plant -75

RV maker cuts deeper in Decatur -250

Montana Contractor Goose Bay -58

San Antonio Companies: 100 Misc. Layoffs

Ontario Horse Track Lays Off 190

CP Rail -100 Temporary Layoffs

Tenneco Plant Cutting 100

Gehl Shrinking Work Force by 81

CBS Cuts Top-Level Execs, Staff

84 Lumber Has Cut 3,200 Over Past 2.5 Years

Harley Davidson -300

210 Social Workers Lose Jobs in Orange Country

City of Redding, CA Cuts About a Dozen

Gaia Online Laying of 36

Sabic Innovative Plastics Cutting 40

Nordam Aerospace Cuts 63 in 3rd Round

Yacht builders Struggle

Wilmington, Ohio hit with 7,500 DHL Layoffs

12-15-2008

San Francisco Considering 400 Layoffs

InFocus will lay off 30 percent of Staff

Grand Rapids schools layoffs for 50 teachers

All 632 Invista workers receive layoff notices

AIG Investments Lays Off 6% Of Work Force

Best Buy offers buyouts to 4,000 employees

St James Healthcare laying off 23 in Butte

More Attorney Layoffs

American Airlines cuts another 24 jobs at Raleigh-Durham

University of Toledo Chops 100 Temps

Hardinge Incorporated will cut by about 70

Trail King lays off 42 employees

NY Air Brake to lay off about 25

600 Misc. Layoffs in Arkansas

Missouri Intermet Plant Chops 36

Hannibal Watlow reduces workforce by 55

Klamath Falls Hospital will Lay Off 60 Workers

Layoffs hit SI Bank & Trust

Freeport-McMoRan -600

Colliers Commercial Real Estate Cuts 11

Publisher Macmillon Cuts 64

BankUnited Lays Off 10

IMI Cornelius Equipco Inc. Plant closing

Even with auto-aid Canada could still lose 20,000

Atmel cuts 275 North America jobs

Sonus Chops 50 Jobs

L’Oreal cuts 500 jobs in US

Publisher Chops 15 Employees

Maker of mobile "Guitar Hero" game cuts workers

Northern Trust Laying Off 450

Tampa Red Cross Lays Off Half of Staff -22

20 High-Rank Bank of America Executives Laid Off

GSI, E-commerce fulfillment Lays Off 100

Force Protection shrinking work force by 150

State of Vermont Cutting up to 35

J.G. Wentworth Finance cuts 120

Auto Supplier Citation Axes 300

Another Auto Supplier Assessing More Layoffs

KB Toy headquarters Chops 240

Lawyer Layoff List Grows -35+

TechTarget to cut 76 staff, close 2 magazines

Deflect-O Permanent Plant Closure -219 Jobs

Philadelphia Closing 11 Libraries -111 Jobs

Zinc Mine in Washington State Closing -165

Columbian Chemical Closing WV Plant -55 jobs

Sara Lee to Eliminate 700 Jobs - Outsourcing

OH, KS Production Moved to Mexico -205 Jobs

Casinos Laying Off

CAMI Automotive layoffs extended to six weeks

ReelzChannel -40, DivX -21, FuseTV -12

Viking Range Corp., Lays Off 69

Tarrant County, TX: 2008 Layoff Tally - 7,371

Kendallville Foundry Closing - 267

TrinityRail Closes Freight Car Plant - 228 Workers

Ainsworth Lumber Shuts MN Plant 280 Lose Jobs

BlackStone Laying Off 70

Danaher Corp. Cutting 1,700 & 13 Facilities

Northeast Ohio has lost 7,000 jobs in 2008

Substantial Layoffs at Yari Film Group

Mid-Missouri Bank Axes 34

Financial Woes Force Health Clinic to Close

Auto Supplier Laitram Corp. Cuts 85

Electrolux cuts 3,000 jobs worldwide

Cal Fire To Layoff Seasonal Firefighters

12-14-2008

Petty Enterprises releases at least 35 employees

Texas Hydraulics Closes - 144

Swanson Group - 201 layoffs in Oregon

Bose cuts over 100

Branson, MO Health Center Cuts 11

Panacos Pharma Plans 15 Layoffs

90 Temporary Layoffs At Wausau Paper

NJ Hospital confirms more layoffs planned

12-13-2008

PPG Closes Glass Plant -170

GM closes Pittsburgh metal plant -350

Manufacturing Firms Cut 85,000 last month

Apparel Company lays off 125

Jet Engine Job Openings Draw Thousands of Applicants

CA Car Dealer Closes - 2 dozen Jobs Gone

SC Car Dealership Shuts Down

NASCAR teams & Tracks have cut 600

Sun Microsystems Cuts 6,000 Jobs

A&E, History and Biography Channel, cut 20

Maryland State University System to use furloughs

GKN Sinter Metals Temporarily Lays Off 550 in PA

RV makers furlough thousands for month

Specialty Chemical Maker Chemtura Cuts 500

Oklahoma Beverage Can Plant Closing -80 jobs

Northern Engraving to close Minnesota plant -200

Kongsberg Automotive Plant To Close

International Paper to eliminate up to 1,500 jobs

Tampa Red Cross Lays Off 22

NY city of Yonkers announces layoffs

Autobytel lays off 40 more, shakes up management

Fairborn call center may cut 400 jobs

Adams Thermal Systems Cuts 25 Jobs

GM stamping plant in Wyoming lays off 84 workers

400 San Francisco Workers Handed Pink Slips

Norfolk Southern plans layoffs

Ceredo rubber maker closes: -50 jobs

Sandals Resorts lays off 650 Caribbean workers

Ivy Steel & Wire lays off 20 workers

Distribution plant cuts 95 employees

150 at RF Micro to lose their jobs

20 GM Plants to be Idled in January

Miami U layoffs could reach 100

More Auto Suppliers Lay Off

Tech Layoffs Surge Past 100,000

12-12-2008

BlackRock - 500 Layoffs

Union Tank Car layoffs 130

GT Solar lays off 25 workers

Sonus to cut 50 workers

C&H Sugar idles 700 workers for week

Ainsworth Lumber Layoffs 280

C-Vision is eliminating 38 jobs

Axe falls on 300 jobs at Ceramaspeed

December layoffs exceed 100k

Greenheck Fan laying off 164 workers

TXI Riverside Cement to layoff 88 workers

Real Estate Investment Firm Cuts 100

Wooden Truss Manufacturing Plant Closes -20

Idaho tax agency cuts 63 workers

Tyco Electronics Announces 2500 Layoffs Worldwide

JP Morgan Home Lending -402

2,100 Digitas Layoffs in US

NY paper goods manufacturer will lay off about 70

2 Manufacturers Slice 160

Volvo cutting 142 jobs at Hagerstown

Alcatel-Lucent to cut 1,000 management jobs

Beryllium Alloy Plant Laying Off 30

Pfizer Slashing 700 Jobs in France

Fairchild Semi Laying Off 1,100

Cooper Tire to Close 1 Plant

Quebec Shipyard Laying off 1,100

Layoffs Coming To Channellock

75 Recycling Plants Have Closed Nationwide

Crane Composites Closes Plant -86

Brake Manufacturer Closing Plant -460

Sprint: Layoffs Coming

CBS Begins CNet Layoffs

ACH Food Processor -450

GE Healthcare plans job cuts

Gary Hardy Chrysler plans to liquidate its inventory -9

Shreveport TV station axes six employees

Sara Lee plans to outsource 700 jobs

S&K Famous Brands closing 58 stores

Gerdau Ameristeel Laying Off 150

Sands Casino -216

Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad Axes 30

Orange County: up to 800 Layoffs in Social Services

12-11-2008

Company Cuts 100% of Manufacturing Workers -400

Large Auto Dealer Cuts 70% of Workforce

Silicon Graphics -225

Neopost USA Chops 240

Furniture Brands to lay off 1,400

Cuyahoga County to Cut 900 Govt. Jobs

Whirlpool Asks for 150 Volunteer Layoffs in Iowa

HSBC Lays Off 165

Timber Company Chopping 200

Steel Mill To Cut Half of Workers

MetroHealth in Cleaveland Cut 98

WNYT Channel 13 Cutting 17

Essex County NJ to Lay Off 150

Career Builder Lays Off 300

Toledo Mayor Announces 45 Layoffs

Hospital Cites Fewer Patients for 7 Layoffs

Parker Hannifin Cutting 45 Factory Workers

Syracuse China to Close Plant in March 09 - 275 jobs

Sony to Close Last U.S. TV Plant - 560 Jobs

Zeledyne Glass in Tulsa Laying Off 120 for 3 Weeks

Congressman Stupak Cites Auto Supplier Layoffs

30 Workers Cut from Bearing Co.

70 Lose Jobs at Georgia-Pacific

Wheeling-Nisshin Axes 90 Workers

Crown Group Closing Plant Cuts 40

KraftMaid Closing Plant Layoff 800

3 Indiana Plants Close: 400 Jobs Gone

North Carolina Sock Plant Closing -180

Virginia Paperboard Mill Closes Plant -52

Textron Cutting 120 from HQ

NY City Looking at More Layoffs

Escondido City Workers May Face Layoffs

ePrize Cuts 20

70 Misc. Layoffs In Nebraska

City of Reno - May Cut Up To 500

Wabash National Announces Layoffs

Mass. Turnpike moving to lay off 20

Tesla Motors Seeks Federal Funds

Wyeth Pharmaceuticals to lay off 276 workers in PR

Bombardier Cutting About 100

Gregg Industries Plans to Lay Off 25%

Brookhaven, Jackson hospitals lay off workers

Mercury Marine Cutting 160

Elkhart Indiana Unemployment hits 10.7%

New unemployment claims reach 26-year high

Gettysburg tile maker to lay off 106

TD Bank to close 32 branches in New Jersey

More layoffs, circulation reductions at AJC

RI state landfill Cuts 19 workers

International Truck in Chatham says it will lay off 479

Cameco Slashes 50 Jobs

Office Depot shuts warehouse - 104 People Lose Jobs

12-10-2008

Yahoo! Cutting 10% of Workforce

Chase Cuts 270

40 Hart GHSP jobs lost amid auto industry disaster

American National Rubber Cuts 50

City of Atlanta Cuts 97 Workers

Clairol Plant Closing 320 Get the Axe

FNX Mining -304

11 Laid off From GFB Plant

Grede Foundry Cuts 60

Hutchinson Technology to Layoff over 1000

Kalitta Air Cuts 200

Mack Truck to Axe 180

Mobil Mini to cut 135 AZ Mfg. Jobs

National Association of Home Builders - 52

Pitney Bowes Cust 128 in Software Division

Franklin Electric will cut 200 jobs

National Public Radio Laying Off 64


Major Layoff Headlines

Bank of America to cut up to 35,000

Rio Tinto Mining Cutting 14,000 Worldwide

Office Depot Will Close 112 Stores

Stanley Works To Cut 2,000

KB Toys Bankrupt Closing All 460 Stores

Citigroup will have to cut 75,000 by next year

Financial Layoff Tally 290,000

NEW! Job Trends Graphs

Fantastic Meta Search Engine for Jobs
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Who is Hiring?

Caterpillar bringing 1400 jobs to Seguin, TX

Taylor Made Group in Kendallville, Indiana

Lumberyard builds on opportunity +6

Census Bureau to hire +1000

Nationwide Insurance +1,570

LG Electronics Opens Training Academy in Georgia

Cook Medical Hiring +50 to 70

IDC-USA Growing and Hiring +5

America’s Best Companies (ABC) +2,000

[curlysue]

"Federal government lays off 1500 in DC"
Are these the out going admin and will be replaced with the new admin in Jan.?

[The Watcher]

This is just staggering! :shock:

[Raggedy Man]

Wow!:shock:

[Lbuck]

:cry:So darn sad. Tragic! No words fit. It's also hit two in our family and I'm afraid more, soon. Thanks for posting this extensive list DF.

[dreadstalker]

holy crap ,that is an extensive list.

[angelwing]

:shock:Heck of a list, ouch:shock:

The hubby had the tv on when I came home and an ad came on...Oskar Huber, all stores, going out of buisness sale, trying to find a link for it

[Wolverine]

Tomotherapy in Madison laid off 65 workers yesterday.

Wausau Paper Corp. will lay off 90 workers in 2009.

[Wolverine]

Stoughton Trailers - warned of possible layoffs coming.

Weyauwega city officials are expressing concern for workers facing layoffs from Presto Products Company -- and for the impact the job cuts will have on the community.

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) -- Soft consumer spending is causing the discount retailer Shopko to trim 6% of its headquarters staff.

Forty-three people have been notified they will lose their jobs.

The struggling economy results in job cuts in La Crosse at Trane Company.

[Wolverine]

Key Racine employers announce job cuts

Johnson Outdoors Inc. and InSinkErator, two of Racine's most prominent employers, announced they will need to eliminate jobs to react to the economic downturn.

Atomic Records to close

Atomic Records, a music store and iconic staple on Milwaukee's east side for nearly a quarter of a century, will close in February.

Unemployment claims up in Wisconsin; benefits fund may run empty in 2009

New unemployment claims are growing at a rate of 30 percent from last year, and the state likely will run out of money to pay benefits by early next year.

[BuffaloCreek]

Ryder to Cut 700 U.S. Jobs;
Scale Back International Business

Ryder System will scale back its international business and cut 700 U.S. jobs while temporarily laying off 1,425 workers and focusing its operations on the United States, Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom.

The temporary layoffs are related to auto sector weakness and the U.S. cuts will save $35 million next year, the company said Thursday.

Ryder is moving to end European supply chain contracts and shut down operations in Argentina, Chile and Brazil that represent 3% of total revenue.

The moves will lead to fourth-quarter charges of $53 million to $60 million after taxes, the company said.

Ryder also said earnings would be “at the low end” of an earlier guidance that ranged between $1.03 a share and $1.13 a share.

Ryder is ranked No. 5 on the Transport Topics 100 listing of U.S. and Canadian for-hire carriers.

[BuffaloCreek]

Cummins’ Emissions Unit Lays Off 100 at Wisconsin Plant

Diesel engine maker Cummins Inc.’s emissions subsidiary will lay off about 100 workers at a Wisconsin plant, effective immediately, because of the slumping North American truck market, the company said.

The Mineral Point, Wisc., factory makes diesel particulate filters for emission control systems and employs 480 workers.

“It’s unfortunate we have to take this action,” said Nitya Rao, plant manager for Cummins Emissions Systems. “Despite our strong market position, like many companies we are experiencing the effects of the ongoing economic downturn, which has had a negative impact on our business.”

[dirtdigger]

A big landscaping co. had to lay off about 14 people due to the economy....here in Western North Carolina.

[Grannyof3]

My son is a partner with another man in a lawn/landscaping business in W.N.C. (McDowell Co.), and unless it is raining, they are working 6 days per week (sunup to sundown). I don't understand it either. I would think that people would give up their (paid) lawncare in such an economic atmosphere, but son and his partner are going gangbusters. McDowell County is nearing the 10% unemployment figure, but the county still has its' share of wealthy octogenarians who insist on their yards looking A-1 all year long. Plus son and partner also hold contracts with the city and several large churches to maintain their landscaping. I thank God son has a job, as dh and I certainly couldn't afford to support him and our grandson (16), who lives with son. Son also has a 'fill-in' job he can work when weather won't allow him to work outside (cook in a local popular restaurant).

[Wolverine]

[/URL]
[URL="http://thecomingdepression.blogspot.com/2008/11/10-retail-companies-that-will-probably.html"]RETAIL Companies that will probably go Bankrupt in 2009. DO YOU SHOP HERE? (http://www.blogger.com/rearrange?blogID=5387053284149226571&widgetType=HTML&widgetId=HTML11&action=editWidget)

Here is a list of companies which may well not make it if their sales drop by double digits this holiday season compared to last:

1. Bon-Ton Store
2. Dillard's
3. Talbots
4. Pier 1's
5. Cost Plus
6. Williams-Sonoma
7. Chico's
8. Fitch
9. Eddie Bauer's
10.Rite Aid
Circuit City filed Chapter 11
Ann Taylor 117 stores nationwide (javascript:void(0)) closing
Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug ,and Catherine's to close 150 stores nationwide
Eddie Bauer to close stores 27 stores and more after January
Cache will close all stores
Talbots closing down specialty stores
J. Jill closing all stores (owned by Talbots)
Pacific Sunwear closing all stores (also owned by Talbots)
GAP closing 85 stores
Footlocker (javascript:void(0)) closing 140 stores more to close after January
Wickes Furniture closing down
Levitz closing down remaining stores
Bombay closing remaining stores
Zales closing down 82 stores and 105 after January
Whitehall closing all stores
Piercing Pagoda closing all stores
Disney closing 98 stores and will close more after January.
Home Depot closing 15 stores 1 in NJ ( New Brunswick )
Macys to close 9 stores after January
Linens and Things (javascript:void(0)) closing all stores
Movie Galley closing all stores
Pep Boys closing 33 stores
Sprint/Nextel closing 133 stores
JC Penney closing a number of stores after January
Ethan Allen closing down 12 stores.
Wilson Leather closing down all stores
Sharper Image closing down all stores
K B Toys closing 356 stores
Lowes to close down some stores
Dillard's to close some stores

[momof23goats]

mack steel laying off 300 workers , plant will be down. in Jackson michigan. One of the few plants still running, well, it was .

[Pastor Guest]

http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/122508/new_370871706.shtml

The Invista yarn-processing plant on Voyles Road laid
off 50 workers last week as the company reacted to
a worsening economy's impact on the demand for
products.

[Beaners]

Two Dunkin Donuts shops and a Baskin Robbins were boarded up and the signs removed overnight. They were open the other night, and when we drove by last night they were all closed, neon signs removed, and plywood over the doors and windows.

This is in SW PA.

Kayleigh

[Double-Bit]

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20081230/D95D9P1G1.html

Companies force workers to take unpaid vacation

Dec 30, 5:07 PM (ET)

By ELLEN SIMON

NEW YORK (AP) - Here's the vacation no one wants, courtesy of the recession: Forced time off without pay.

Financially struggling universities, factories and even hospitals are requiring employees to take unpaid "furloughs" - temporary layoffs that amount to one-time pay cuts for workers and a cost savings for employers. This year, the number of temporarily laid off workers hit a 17-year high.
"If they do it once, I think it's easier for them to try to do it again," said Carrie Swartout, who researches traumatic brain injuries at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Maryland is requiring unpaid time off for 67,000 of its 80,000 employees as it struggles with a budget crisis. The state says the furloughs will save an estimated $34 million during the fiscal year. State governments, facing lower revenues but stymied by the long process required to cut public sector jobs, are using furloughs as a quick way to trim payrolls. Private-sector businesses - from automakers to small businesses - are shutting down factories and offices as sales drop.

The temporary layoffs are "kind of employment purgatory, but it's better than the alternative," said Carl Van Horn, a professor of public policy at Rutgers University. They're a typical response to decreasing demand in a recession, although this round is slightly worse than past bad recessions, Van Horn said.
Of 10.3 million unemployed workers in November, roughly 12 percent were unemployed because of temporary layoffs, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The last time this many workers fell into the category was February 1991, when 1.4 million workers were unemployed because of temporary layoffs. As a proportion of the total work force, workers on temporary layoff are roughly 1 percent, nearly the same now as 17 years ago. The numbers, based on a Census Bureau survey of households, likely understate temporary layoffs. The survey asks about participants' working hours during the prior week, so a worker who knows he faces a temporary layoff later in the month would not be included.

Swartout, the 28-year-old Maryland researcher, could lose as much as $800 in pay, or nearly 2 percent of her salary, depending on how long she's furloughed. "That's a huge chunk," she said. The timing and duration of the furloughs of non-critical state workers are still unclear, she said, but the loss will mean she'll struggle to make her monthly $500 student loan payment.

At state-funded Winthrop University in South Carolina, workers are being asked to stagger days of unpaid leave as the state's sales tax revenue declines. Professors were told to take nine furlough days without canceling classes or office hours, missing meetings or interfering with any other university responsibility. They are required to take the days before June 30, when the university's fiscal year ends.
Education professor Nakia Pope, 32, calculates that there are 11 days before and after the semester and over spring break when he could take unpaid time, but he and his colleagues would normally work most of those days, preparing materials, grading and writing or doing research.
"Most faculty I know will end up taking few if any of those furlough days off- they'll just go about doing the good jobs they normally do for less money," he said.

"I'm grateful to be working at all, considering I live in the state with the third-highest unemployment in the nation and I think Winthrop is doing the best it can managing the situation it's been given by the state - but it's a mess," said Pope, who said the days off will amount to a 6 percent pay cut. "That's a pretty big hit." Like other workers facing forced time off, Pope said his family will have to cut its spending. For factory workers, unpaid time is coming in the form of extended shutdowns as manufacturers try to reduce inventory of everything from aluminum to newsprint to fertilizer.

This month, RV maker Winnebago Industries Inc. (WGO (http://research.scottrade.com/public/stocks/snapshot/snapshot.asp?id=1&symbol=WGO)) said that all its workers, including Chief Executive Bob Olson, would take an unpaid week off during the current quarter, along with a two-week production shutdown during the holidays. 3M Co. (MMM (http://research.scottrade.com/public/stocks/snapshot/snapshot.asp?id=1&symbol=MMM)) (MMM (http://research.scottrade.com/public/stocks/snapshot/snapshot.asp?id=1&symbol=MMM)) said early this month that it had ordered some workers to take vacation or unpaid time for the last two weeks of the year. Computer maker Dell Inc. (DELL (http://research.scottrade.com/public/stocks/snapshot/snapshot.asp?id=1&symbol=DELL)) in November asked employees to consider taking unpaid vacation days during the fourth quarter.

Chrysler, General Motors Corp. (GM (http://research.scottrade.com/public/stocks/snapshot/snapshot.asp?id=1&symbol=GM)) (GM (http://research.scottrade.com/public/stocks/snapshot/snapshot.asp?id=1&symbol=GM)) and Ford Motor Co. (F (http://research.scottrade.com/public/stocks/snapshot/snapshot.asp?id=1&symbol=F)) (F (http://research.scottrade.com/public/stocks/snapshot/snapshot.asp?id=1&symbol=F)) have all extended their annual holiday shutdowns, typically the last two weeks of the year. The moves will idle tens of thousands of workers both at the major automakers and their suppliers. Tire maker Michelin, parts makers BorgWarner Inc. (BWA (http://research.scottrade.com/public/stocks/snapshot/snapshot.asp?id=1&symbol=BWA)) and Gentex Corp. (GNTX (http://research.scottrade.com/public/stocks/snapshot/snapshot.asp?id=1&symbol=GNTX)) have also announced shutdowns of varying lengths beginning in December and ending in January.

At some companies, the furloughs are a prelude to a permanent layoff. Trinh Nguyen, 23, was called into a conference room with about 25 other workers in late December at the 75-person Baltimore architecture and design firm where he works. The group was told that they were on a 30-day furlough, starting Dec. 10. "They tried to lighten (it) up as not a termination," said Nguyen, who asked that the company not be named. As he sees it, most of his co-workers will spend the time hunting for new work. Those who succeed won't qualify for severance payments they would have gotten had they been laid off. That would make the furloughs a way for the company to save money both on paychecks and severance - if workers can find other jobs.

"It's just a harsh situation," he said.

[lamplighter]

Soured economy causes Monett car dealership to close
Economic stress on the Monett community has taken a toll as 2008 has drawn to a close. Among the latest to close the doors has been Team Chevrolet, the General Motors car dealership on Highway 60.

They did not say how many employees lost their jobs.

[TeeHee]

http://www.kmbc.com/news/18404862/detail.html

SEDALIA, Mo. -- Auto parts supplier Hayes Lemmerz International Inc. is laying off 110 workers at its Sedalia plant.

A spokeswoman for the Northville, Mich., company, Marika Diamond, told The Sedalia Democrat that the layoffs were in response to auto makers reducing production levels.

Diamond said the company expects to recall workers as market conditions improve.

The layoffs were announced Friday, but workers learned they were coming during a meeting last month. Efforts already have been made to educate laid-off workers about educational and retraining opportunities, Diamond said.

The job cuts follow an earlier round of 150 layoffs in November.

The company now employs 300 people in Sedalia, making steel wheels for General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co., Chrysler LLC and Nissan Motor Co.

[klynndavid]

Fred Meyer, (equivlant to a Walmart superstore) , is laying off at most of their stores. They are located in the Northwest . I think they have about a hundred stores

[johngaltfla]

Monday, January 5, 2009, 5:20pm EST
Cigna cutting 1,100 jobs (http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2009/01/05/daily16.html?surround=lfn)

Philadelphia Business Journal

In actions described as a response to the economic downturn, health insurer Cigna Corp. (http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/gen/Cigna_Corp._7C8F1AEAF5B449989BA8319EB8E1FCCC.html) said late Monday that it would be laying off 1,100 employees, roughly 4 percent of its work force, as well as consolidating unspecified real estate locations.


Information on how the moves will affect Philadelphia, where the company has its headquarters, was not made available.


Cigna said it expects to incur between $30 million and $40 million, after tax, in cost reduction charges in fourth-quarter 2008.


“Given the unprecedented economic situation we and our customers are facing, these actions are essential to ensure we can meet their needs for high value, cost effective products and services,” Cigna Chairman and CEO H. Edward Hanway said in a statement. “Decisions like these are difficult and never made lightly, but they are necessary given the current environment.”


The job eliminations are anticipated to be in large part complete by midyear 2009 and the company said affected employees will be eligible for severance benefits and outplacement support.


CIGNA (NYSE:CI) said it will provide more information on its cost reduction charge during its fourth-quarter earnings call scheduled for Feb. 5.

[Navajo]

http://searchengineland.com/report-microsoft-to-lay-off-15000-workers-15986 (http://searchengineland.com/report-microsoft-to-lay-off-15000-workers-15986)


Report: Microsoft To Lay Off 15,000 Workers


Jan 1, 2009 at 9:18am ET by Barry Schwartz
There are reports that Microsoft is getting ready to lay off 17% of their workforce on this new year. The layoffs are expected to happen on or around January 15th. So it looks like the rumors are right and this recession is going to hit one of the most successful technology companies of all time.
The rumors include that most of the layoffs will be seen in the MSN group, with other layoffs in Microsoft EMEA divisions. This is not the type of news Microsoft employees like to hear on New Years. There is a lot of coverage on the news at Techmeme.

[milo]

Silver Star today announced 570 non tribal layoffs. Part of the casino will cut from 7 to 3 day a week operation. Silver Star is the property of the Choctaw tribe.

[Falls_Tech]

The sheriffs department of the county I live in is laying off at least 40 employes including at least 18 deputy sheriffs. They said that huge cuts are coming including releasing some of the inmates!!!

[momof3]

http://www.gastongazette.com/news/stowe_28943___article.html/business_yarn.html


R.L. Stowe Mills closing after almost 108 years in yarn business


January 5, 2009 - 4:35 PM
Daniel Jackson (djackson@gastongazette.com)
R.L Stowe Mills Inc. announced Monday plans to go out of business within 60 days after almost 108 years in yarn manufacturing and sales.
The Belmont-based textile manufacturer employs 550 people in North Carolina and Tennessee, including about 200 workers at the National and Helms plants in Belmont, said president and CEO D. Harding Stowe.
Stowe, whose grandfather Robert Lee Stowe Sr. founded the company, said demand for products fell dramatically in the fourth quarter, forcing the company to close.
"We had such a steep drop in business at the end of the year that we really couldn't see things improving here," Stowe said.
Belmont City Councilman Dick Cromlish said the Stowe plants were the last of the original family-owned textile mills around which the city of Belmont was built.
Parkdale still operates a plant in Belmont, but Cromlish, a lifelong Belmont resident, said the company was not original to the city.
The Stowe family and their mills are intimately woven into the fabric of Belmont's history. And the family name adorns many precious places, from Stowe Manor to Stowe Park downtown and the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden.
But the textile industry that once formed the cornerstone of the community has finally faded, Cromlish said.
"Today is probably the day that we would have to change our city seal," Cromlish said of the oval emblem containing a spindle of yarn. "We are no longer a textile town. It's a part of history that's gone and that's been very strong because families came to Belmont to work in the mills and earn a living."
Belmont has become a thriving bedroom community for Charlotte commuters with a diverse retail market and its historic downtown is a regional destination. But Cromlish said the closing of Stowe Mills would still have a tremendous impact on the city.
Families that have worked at local mills for generations could end up leaving Belmont to find work, he said.
Meanwhile, Gaston County shed hundreds of manufacturing jobs in 2008. The unemployment rate in October was as high as it's been in seven years and it continues to rise.
"They're going to have to leave Belmont to find jobs," Cromlish said. "If I were in that position, I wouldn't know where to turn."
Some residents living near the National, located at 710 E. Catawba St., and Helms, 101 Maple St., plants in East Belmont were not surprised by news of the closing, saying work at the plants has been slow in recent months.
The Stowe Spinning operation in North Belmont closed in December 2007 and the Chronicle Plant on East Catawba Street closed in 2006, putting about 177 people out of work.
Thurman Welch, a 74-year-old retired textile worker who lives next door to the Stowe plants in Belmont, said his entire family worked in mills in Belmont and Gastonia. He said he's been watching the news and praying for all of the people who have lost their jobs during the current recession.
"That's all there was when I was growing up," Welch said of textiles. "I don't know what people are going to do. If the Lord don't come back soon, I don't know what people are going to do."

[psalm23]

Asheville Citizen-Times stops the presses
by Jason Sandford on 01/04/2009
Related topics: Asheville Citizen-Times, newspaper
Travis White and his co-workers watch as the last of the night’s 58,000 newspapers come off the Asheville Citizen-Times printing press. No words. No fanfare. There’s not much to say when a job’s finished for good.

“I hate it, really,” says White, a night-side supervisor in the pressroom. “My grandfather worked here for 44 years. My dad worked here 20-some years. My dad used to bring me to work with him sometimes. I grew up in the mailroom and the pressroom.”

There’s a slow quieting of whirring machinery. It’s about 2:45 a.m. Sunday, and a sense of resignation hangs all around. The nightly process of printing a daily newspaper, a ritual practiced for close to 150 years in Asheville, has just come to an end. Permanently.

“I’m gonna miss it,” White says. “I think everybody here is.”

The 60 employees of the Sardis Road printing plant in western Buncombe County got word about six weeks ago that the plant was closing, so there’s been time to process, time to prepare. The company has offered severance pay, and there’s unemployment pay to fall back on. Several employees have accepted jobs offered to them in Greenville, S.C., where the newspaper will be printed starting Sunday night.

The largest newspaper chain in the U.S., Gannett Co., owns the Citizen-Times and the Greenville News and decided to consolidate printing operations. The closure comes as Gannett struggles with declining revenues and general uncertainty over the future of newspapers. Earlier this year, the company cut about 2,500 jobs across all its newspapers in a lay-off that included 16 people at the Citizen-Times.

The past year brought other restructuring moves. The Citizen-Times increased the price of single copies of the newspaper from 50 cents to 75 cents. And with the start of printing in Greenville, the newspaper will be slightly narrower and contain fewer pages in its daily edition. Editors have not yet announced any content changes.

At the printing plant, none of that really matters. It’s simply time to move on.

“It’s just sad to see this place close,” says Billy Carver, a mailroom supervisor with more than 16 years invested at the plant. “I never thought this day would come so soon. The paper’s not going to be the same, and I think a lot of customers may feel like it’s not a hometown paper anymore” now that it’s printed out of town, he says.

Carver started working at the plant a year after graduating high school, holding various jobs while moving his way up. As his older co-workers like to say, “We raised him from a pup.”

The loss of that sense of closeness might hurt the most, Carver says.

“It’s like I’m losing my second family. It’s going to be tough to start over,” but he adds that, “like any American,” he’ll press on.

The paper was printed for years inside the Citizen-Times building at 14 O. Henry Ave. in downtown Asheville. At the time the building opened under publisher/owner Charles Webb in 1939, the site was hailed as one of the most modern structures of its kind in the U.S. and housed the Asheville Citizen, the Asheville Times and WWNC radio station. Before that, various iterations of the two newspapers existed around Asheville at a number of locations and were run by notable characters. Webb, for example, famously used his newspaper clout to push for the establishment of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a controversial stance at the time. Randolph Shotwell, who founded the Asheville Citizen in 1869, was a Civil War veteran and active member of the Ku Klux Klan.

The Sardis plant was also considered a technical marvel when it opened in that it allowed remote printing. The massive, German-made offset printing press started running in the cavernous 40,000-square-foot Sardis Road plant in 1986. Over the years, the 600-ton press and its eight units wore down. Electrical components blew out and required constant repair. Adjusting ink and water mixes on the giant rollers that bore the printing plates became a time-consuming chore that affected print quality.

So in 2007, Gannett invested $3.5 million in a modern upgrade that replaced a big electrical panel with sleek computer controls that could make adjustments on the fly.

It apparently wasn’t enough.

“A business does what a business has got to do,” says Philip Morris, a mailroom night-shift operator with 19-and-a-half years at the Citizen-Times.

“I’m going to miss the business. You put 19 and a half years into it, you gotta love it,” he says.

Morris says he’s not sure what’s ahead, but he’s not worried. “The Lord got me this far. He’ll get me the rest of the way.”

Outside on the loading dock, the last of the newspaper bundles come off conveyors. They’re ready for newspaper carriers like Phil Ladowski, who fills his van with about 3,000 copies. An itinerant veteran of the business, Ladowski says he’s worked for various newspapers around the country for 30-some odd years.

The constancy and the permanence of newspapers don’t seem so weighty in his hands as he talks about his work and contemplates the changes in the early morning dark.

“It’s the end of an era,” he says, and tosses another bundle into the van.

— Jason Sandford, multimedia editor

[psalm23]

Monday, January 5, 2009, 2:44pm EST
Getrag lays off 141 workers in MaidenCharlotte Business Journal
Auto-parts manufacturer Getrag Corp. is cutting 141 positions at its facility in Maiden.

The job cuts, which were effective Monday, are permanent, the company says.

“The current economic situation and the crisis in the American automotive market in particular forces us to adjust our organization to assure the long term viability of our company,” says Friedemann Strasser, chief executive.

Getrag makes power trains, automobile axles, gears and transmissions. It opened in Catawba County in 1986.

The company says it will offer assistance to employees to help ease the transition.

Getrag is owned by Getrag Getriebe und Zahnradfabrik Hermann Hagenmeyer GmbH & Cie KG of Germany.

[momof3]

^ I have several friends who work (or rather worked there) this is very close to where we live
:(

[psalm23]

ESC adds server to handle overload of applicants
Posted: Jan. 5, 2009
RALEIGH, N.C. &mdashA phone line problem combined with a overload of applicants for unemployment overwhelmed the computer system at the state's Employment Security Commission on Sunday and Monday, preventing some people from filing claims.

The system was working again by Monday afternoon, when the ESC had added another server and demand had lessened, said ESC spokesman Andy James.

"It's not like we didn't know there were increasing numbers of people," James said. "We do stress tests and get it to a certain point, thinking it will never exceed that. If it does, we run into problems like we did today."

The phone line problem was fixed Sunday, when 74,000 people tried to access the system, and the ESC thought the overload problem had been handled as well. But the system failed again Monday when about 55,000 people tried to file either for new or continuing benefits.

Eighteen months ago, the Web site might have gotten 23,000 hits on a busy day, James said.

But the recession has taken its toll in North Carolina, where the jobless rate in November, the last month for which figures are available, was 7.9 percent. That was the highest since October 1983.

And there are few signs of a quick remedy. President-elect Barack Obama said Monday that the national economy was "bad and getting worse."

"The economy is very sick," Obama said before meeting with Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid to discuss emergency action. "The situation is getting worse. ... We have to act and act now to break the momentum of this recession."

Payment will be delayed about a day to people who tried to file Sunday and couldn't, James said. People who couldn't access the system Monday had until 9 p.m. Monday to get their payment the same day they normally would.

"People live on the margin, especially when they're unemployed," James said. "They need their money now. We hope a one-day delay isn't a big thing. But it's the first of the month, and it's not a good thing."

Rents and mortgages typically are due at the first of the month. "I'm sure that's stressing out people, and I'm sorry for that."

North Carolina's ESC has about 300,000 people in its unemployment system and pays about $33 million a week in benefits.

The trust fund that pays the benefits has about $180 million to $200 million in it, and the ESC typically gets its biggest chunks of payments in the first months of the year, James said. Should the fund be in danger of depletion, the state can borrow money from the federal government at an interest rate as low as a half-percent, he said.

"We've been through this before, and we can do it again," James said of keeping the trust fund healthy. "We'll make sure people aren't in danger of losing their benefits."

The ESC has a phone number for people applying for unemployment for the first time - 1-877-841-9617. Applications for continuing benefits can be filed at 1-888-372-3453.

[psalm23]

^ I have several friends who work (or rather worked there) this is very close to where we live
:(

Hey momof3.We're in deep stuff here. I think we are close (in location). Hollar at me (PM in comp speak) if we can be of any help to you.

God's blessings

Kelly & Sharon

[h_oder]

ESC adds server to handle overload of applicants
Posted: Jan. 5, 2009
RALEIGH, N.C. &mdashA phone line problem combined with a overload of applicants for unemployment overwhelmed the computer system at the state's Employment Security Commission on Sunday and Monday, preventing some people from filing claims.

The system was working again by Monday afternoon, when the ESC had added another server and demand had lessened, said ESC spokesman Andy James.

"It's not like we didn't know there were increasing numbers of people," James said. "We do stress tests and get it to a certain point, thinking it will never exceed that. If it does, we run into problems like we did today."

The phone line problem was fixed Sunday, when 74,000 people tried to access the system, and the ESC thought the overload problem had been handled as well. But the system failed again Monday when about 55,000 people tried to file either for new or continuing benefits.

Eighteen months ago, the Web site might have gotten 23,000 hits on a busy day, James said.

But the recession has taken its toll in North Carolina, where the jobless rate in November, the last month for which figures are available, was 7.9 percent. That was the highest since October 1983.

And there are few signs of a quick remedy. President-elect Barack Obama said Monday that the national economy was "bad and getting worse."

"The economy is very sick," Obama said before meeting with Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid to discuss emergency action. "The situation is getting worse. ... We have to act and act now to break the momentum of this recession."

Payment will be delayed about a day to people who tried to file Sunday and couldn't, James said. People who couldn't access the system Monday had until 9 p.m. Monday to get their payment the same day they normally would.

"People live on the margin, especially when they're unemployed," James said. "They need their money now. We hope a one-day delay isn't a big thing. But it's the first of the month, and it's not a good thing."

Rents and mortgages typically are due at the first of the month. "I'm sure that's stressing out people, and I'm sorry for that."

North Carolina's ESC has about 300,000 people in its unemployment system and pays about $33 million a week in benefits.

The trust fund that pays the benefits has about $180 million to $200 million in it, and the ESC typically gets its biggest chunks of payments in the first months of the year, James said. Should the fund be in danger of depletion, the state can borrow money from the federal government at an interest rate as low as a half-percent, he said.

"We've been through this before, and we can do it again," James said of keeping the trust fund healthy. "We'll make sure people aren't in danger of losing their benefits."

The ESC has a phone number for people applying for unemployment for the first time - 1-877-841-9617. Applications for continuing benefits can be filed at 1-888-372-3453.

This happened in Ohio as well. So many people were trying to apply for benefits online they crashed the system. A phone bank that normally fields approx. 7600 calls per day is receiving upwards of 80,000. Now, I'm sure much of that is related to the system crash, but that's alot of people calling about unemployment benefits/claims.

[hisbluelady]

Fred Meyer, (equivlant to a Walmart superstore) , is laying off at most of their stores. They are located in the Northwest . I think they have about a hundred stores

except they're more upscale than Walmart, and have a good health food section. I hope ours doesn't close!!

[abigail]

Alcoa aluminum to freeze hiring and to slash jobs and production to navigate through the global downturn. The announcement was a harsh reminder that the economy both domestically and abroad remains in rough shape. Alcoa said late Tuesday it is reducing its global work force by about 13,500, or 13%, by the end of the year and lowering total output by more than 18% annually.

Local Dunkin Doughnuts closed before the holidays.

[angelwing]

http://www.kyw1060.com/Crozer-Keystone-Cutting-400-Jobs-at-Its-Five-Hospi/3616886

Posted: Wednesday, 07 January 2009 3:53PM

Crozer-Keystone Cutting 400 Jobs at Its Five Hospitals


by KYW's Pat Loeb
The Crozer-Keystone Health System (http://www.crozer.org/CKHS) says it will soon eliminate 400 positions. Hospital officials blame a number of adverse financial circumstances.
Crozer-Keystone spokeswoman Kathy Scullin says the health care company has experienced a decline in admissions, a drop in outpatient volume, an increase in bad debt, and reductions in reimbursement from the state.
All of that adds up to a drop in revenue, and Scullin says that requires a reduction in employees.
She says patient care won't be affected. The health system employs 7,000 people at five facilities in the area: Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland, Delaware County Memorial Hospital in Drexel Hill, Taylor Hospital in Ridley Park, Springfield Hospital in Springfield (Delaware County), and Community Hospital in Chester.
Though 400 jobs will be eliminated, Scullin says, there will not necessarily be 400 layoffs because hiring has been frozen for several months -- so some employees can be shifted into open positions.

[BuffaloCreek]

Another round of layoffs planned at Navistar plant in Ontario

Union officials will meet next week in Windsor, Ontario, with management of the Chatham plant's operating company, International Truck and Engine Corp., and U.S. parent Navistar International Corp. to press them on long-term intentions, the Toronto Star reported.

The Trucker Staff

1/7/2009

CHATHAM, Ontario — Navistar is laying off 200 workers at its truck plant in Chatham, the Toronto Star reported Wednesday.

The March 1 reduction brings to the number of jobs lost at the plant to more than 1,000 and has left union leaders questioning the plant's future now that there are fewer than 200 workers remaining, according to news report.

Union officials will meet next week in Windsor with management of the plant's operating company, International Truck and Engine Corp., and U.S. parent Navistar International Corp. to press them on long-term intentions, the Star reported.

In a Monday conference call with investment analysts, Navistar officials said the Chatham plant “is challenged” by logistics costs as area suppliers — many of which also have supplied the Detroit auto makers — move operations to Mexico.

Similarly, Sterling Truck in nearby St. Thomas has announced it is closing its doors in March 2009, cutting about 2,000 jobs. Parent company Daimler Trucks North America is discontinuing the Sterling line.

Navistar previously had announced more than 400 layoffs at the plant in Chatham, set for Jan. 31.

The current contract between the CAW and Navistar, which expires June 1, compels the company to produce an average of 35 trucks daily in the first quarter of this year at the Chatham plant, according to the Star. It is producing about 100 ProStar and LoneStar Class 8 long-haul trucks daily but that will drop below 35 a day when the March 1 layoffs take effect.

In 2003 the plant was rescued from possible closure after Navistar, the union, and the provincial and federal governments worked on a concession and incentive package to keep the production line moving.

For its part, Navistar agreed to re-invest in the 60-year-old facility.

Kevin Jones of The Trucker staff can be reached for comment at kevinj@thetrucker.com.

[RightWinger]

Syracuse University [Syracuse, New York] laying off 48 workers, eliminating 71 positions

The layoffs are part of the university’s attempt to save $8 million in the current academic year and $11 million in the next year by cutting costs in administrative and support units.

http://theithacajournal.com/article/20090108/NEWS01/90108006

[emoemo333]

http://www.reuters.com/article/ousiv/idUSTRE5074CL20090108

Thu Jan 8, 2009 9:45am EST

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Walgreen Co (WAG.N) said it plans to cut about 1,000 nonstore jobs as it works on reducing costs and improving its drugstore operations.

The company said it is offering early retirement and severance programs to employees in corporate and field management jobs. About 1,000 positions, or about 9 percent of the jobs in those areas, will be cut through voluntary and involuntary programs during fiscal 2009.

The cuts are part of the company's "Rewiring for Growth" program, announced during the fall. Under the program, Walgreen aims to save $1 billion per year by fiscal 2011.

Walgreen said that after offering voluntary packages, an involuntary separation program would start in February.

(Reporting by Jessica Wohl)

[BuffaloCreek]

Eaton Corp. to cut 20 percent of work force

By DEB NICKLAY

deb.nicklay@globegazette.com

BELMOND — Eaton Corp., one of Belmond’s top employers, will cut 78 jobs, representing about 20 percent of its workforce, company officials announced on Thursday.

The company, which produces engine machine valves, will provide “competitive severance packages” to the affected employees, said Jim Parks, communications manager for the company.

The layoffs will take place at the end of this month, he added.

A total of 360 employees worked at the plant before the cuts were announced.

He said the reduction reflects the nation’s poor economy, which has resulted in a decline of customer orders.

Belmond City Manager Lee Ann Waltzing called the cutbacks “a blow” to the city and its residents. Eaton is among the top three employers in the community.

The city that suffered flooding this summer will now have to face another setback.

“We’re going to have to reach out to the community, be understanding and respond in any way we can,” she said.

The move is part of a company-wide reduction in labor, Parks said.

Eaton Corp. produces electrical and fluid power systems in over 200 operations worldwide. Its corporate offices are based in Ohio.

The Belmond plant began production in 1980, according to Globe Gazette files.

[Buick Electra]

Very bad!

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=32523&seenIt=1

Illinois companies to cut 7,000+ jobs

By: Meghan Streit (mstreit@crain.com) Jan. 07, 2009


(Crain’s) — Illinois companies warned of heavy job losses in upcoming months that could put at least 7,000 employees out of work.

Twenty-three companies in December filed layoff notices with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity under the state’s Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act. That law mandates that companies with at least 75 workers publicly disclose any job cuts that exceed either one-third of their staff or more than 250 workers.
The December WARN figure is nearly six times the total number of job losses filed in November. In December 2007, Illinois businesses filed WARN documents for 1,700 jobs.
The heaviest job losses will come from U.S. Steel Corp.’s facility in Downstate Granite City. That plant has been temporarily idled, causing 2,150 workers to lose their jobs. U.S. Steel said in December that it is consolidating its operations to better meet customer demand.


Video-game maker Midway Games Inc. (http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/company.pl?id=179) previously announced it is eliminating 143 jobs in Chicago as part of a cost-cutting effort. The company expects to take a charge of $1.6 million in the fourth quarter for severance costs.

Caterpillar Inc. (http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/company.pl?id=53) also announced in December it was cutting 814 jobs at its engine assembly plant in Downstate Mossville due to softening demand.
Hoffman Estates-based Sears Holdings Corp. is cutting 85 jobs with the closure of a Joliet-based Kmart store.

Across the state in Rock Island, trucking company Roadway Express says it will close a trucking terminal and fire up to 70 people. The company says 60 other local workers will keep their jobs.

Nashville, Tenn.-based Americall Group told state that it will close its Champaign call center by March 6. The center employs 74 people. (Crain's senior reporter Monee Fields-White and The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

[Peter]

Me. :mrgreen:

[momof3]

http://www.gastongazette.com/news/plant_29040___article.html/holly_mount.html (http://www.gastongazette.com/news/plant_29040___article.html/holly_mount.html)


Freightliner to cut 850 more jobs; Mount Holly plant goes 'idle,' Gastonia loses workers March 13

[/URL]

January 8, 2009 - 3:37 PM
Daniel Jackson
Almost 850 workers will lose their jobs indefinitely as two Freightliner plants in Gaston County cut production on March 13, Daimler Trucks North America announced Thursday. [URL="http://www.gastongazette.com/news/sparrow_29056___article.html/freightliner_plant.html"](employees saw news coming) (http://www.gastongazette.com/news/plant_29040___article.html/holly_mount.html#slComments)
Company officials said all shifts at the Mount Holly Truck Manufacturing Plant would be "idled" with only limited component assembly work remaining active after March 13. The company plans to cut 572 production line and pre-delivery inspection positions in that process.
On the same day, the Gastonia Parts Manufacturing Plant will cut 275 shop positions from the first and second shifts.
The company already cut more than 550 workers at the end of October. And the announcement comes only days after roughly 200 layoffs were announced with the closing of R.L. Stowe Mills Inc.'s plants in Belmont.
"Although these actions are unavoidable and necessary, we deeply regret the impact on our employees and their families," Chris Patterson, Daimler Trucks North America's president and CEO, said in a prepared statement.
Daimler officials attributed the layoffs to the "continuing economic and industry downtown and a related sharp decline in truck orders." Plant officials met with employees in Mount Holly and Gastonia simultaneously Thursday afternoon to announce the plans.
The company did not say if the layoffs would be permanent, but Patterson did suggest that production activity would eventually resume at the North Carolina plants.
"These are extremely difficult and challenging times for our industry. We look forward to returning to normal production operations when business conditions stabilize," Patterson said.
In total 2,327 Daimler employees will be affected by the production cuts and 2,137 of them are in North Carolina. Another 1,290 jobs will be lost at a manufacturing plant in Rowan County and 190 production line jobs are being cut at a plant in Portland, Ore., according to the company.
In Gaston County, the unemployment rate hit 10 percent in November, according to statistics released this week by the N.C. Employment Security Commission. And with more than 1,000 layoffs announced this week, those numbers are not likely to improve anytime soon.
Daimler officials would not comment on the average wage earned by Freightliner employees in Gaston County.
Donny Hicks, director of the Gaston County Economic Development Corporation, said, "Freightliner is a regional leader for the quality of jobs, pay and work environment."
Hicks said he would expect Freightliner to call some employees back to work as the economy stabilizes. Cutbacks at Freightliner are usually cyclical, but Hicks said the cuts are as deep as he's ever seen.
"There have been some cyclical changes, but I don't remember it ever being totally shut down," Hicks said.
Bob Riggins, president of United Auto Workers Local 5285 in Mount Holly, said the Mount Holly plant would keep a skeleton crew to build subassemblies for Freightliner plants in Mexico that make products for the South American market. Riggins said company officials told him U.S. trucks are not being made down there.
Truck orders improved toward the end of 2008, Riggins said. Then in the first few weeks of 2009, two of the companies biggest customers - nationwide companies that buy hundreds of trucks - announced that they would not buy any trucks this year.
"The bottom has dropped out," Riggins said. "Its just devastating. I've never seen anything like it."
Riggins said the layoffs are a response to the struggling U.S. economy and the cuts at Freightliner are sure to have a ripple effect that hurts other small businesses and "mom and pop" machine shops throughout the area.
The UAW plans to ensure those laid off Freightliner employees receive six months of company-paid health care after March 13. Workers are entitled to health care under the union's collective bargaining agreement, he said.
Congress needs to act swiftly on President Obama's stimulus package, which includes infrastructure improvements, road work and materials to support that kind of work, which would include trucks, Riggins said.
"They need to act swiftly before it's too late for the American worker," Riggins said.

[IdahoMom]

ATK layoffs
The ATK plant in Lewiston.

YouNews™
Story Published: Jan 8, 2009 at 9:53 PM PST

Story Updated: Jan 8, 2009 at 9:53 PM PST

By Matt Loveless
LEWISTON - ATK CCI/Speer in Lewiston is cutting about 8 percent of their workforce.

In mid-December, the company announced an indefinite period of downtime for a number of workers at the Lewiston plant. Now ATK will lay off 70 to 80 Lewiston employees in what management calls a reduction in force.

ATK spokesperson Amanda Cummings said the affected employees were notified Thursday.

Cummings said it's not the economy, that the company is still seeing a healthy market for ammunition sales. She said it goes back to a 2006 hiring boost, which was implemented to cover a backlog of orders for the growing company. Cummings said they are finally caught up on that backlog, and no longer need those employees.

Newly-elected Republican U.S. Senator Jim Risch said Thursday he is concerned about the loss of jobs.

In a statement Risch said, "It is disappointing to hear that over 100 people are losing their jobs at CCI/Speer in Lewiston. It is imperative that the new Congress and President work quickly on ways to improve our country's business climate. We must find ways to keep companies like CCI/Speer growing and their workers employed. They are an excellent local employer and we need to move swiftly to keep these jobs that provide the income for many families in the Lewiston area.

[IdahoMom]

Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal - January 9, 2009
http://twincities.bizjournals.com/twincities/stories/2009/01/05/daily47.html

Friday, January 9, 2009, 9:05am CST
Alliant Techsystems laying off 70-80 Anoka workersMinneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal - by John Vomhof Jr. Staff writer
Alliant Techsystems Inc. is laying off 70 to 80 workers at its Federal Cartridge ammunition plant in Anoka. That’s on top of anothher 40 to 50 workers that were let go in November.

Eden Prairie-based Alliant (NYSE: ATK) had added several hundred workers over the past several years as the company ramped up production to address backlog of ammunition orders, but that backlog now has dissipated, leaving the Anoka plant with more workers than it needs, spokesman Bryce Hallowell said. Following the layoffs, Alliant will have about 900 workers at the plant.

“We feel we now have the appropriate workforce to address current and expected demand,” Hallowell said.

[emoemo333]

http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2009/01/09/business/010709lrwindmill.txt


LITTLE ROCK -- In a sign the economic crisis could calm Arkansas' soaring wind energy industry, the first of three planned windmill blade manufacturers to begin production in the state announced Tuesday it would lay off more than 150 workers.

LM Glasfiber experienced rapid growth last year but said business has slowed as developers find it harder to finance projects because of the national credit crunch.

The Danish firm announced plans for its Arkansas operations in July 2007, predicting its work force would grow to more than 1,100 within five years. Tuesday's announcement came less than a year into production.

The company said it would keep more than 350 employees in Little Rock. That includes about 60 who will transfer from a plant that is closing -- originally a training facility -- to the main plant at the Little Rock port. The transfer is in preparation for round-the-clock operations in Little Rock and is expected to be complete within 60 days.

"We remain strongly committed to our North American operations, including our new regional headquarters in Little Rock," said Randy Fox, vice president and general manager of North America operations.

Fox said as recently as three months ago the company was hiring 60 to 70 workers a month in anticipation of projects that have since been scaled back or canceled. He said the announced layoffs were permanent and did not rule out further job cuts.
*

"We hope this is it. We don't want to go at this piecemeal," Fox said. "In this environment, two or three months is a long time. If things change, we'll have to react accordingly."

Just last month, Gov. Mike Beebe hinted Arkansas was in line for a fourth windmill manufacturing operation.

Besides LM Glasfiber, Polymarin Composites USA Ltd. plans to begin operations in Little Rock this year along with Wind Water Technology, making windmill blades and turbines. Those operations comprise a $20 million investment and a projected work force of 800 employees. Also, Nordex USA Inc. announced in October plans for a $100 million wind turbine plant in Jonesboro that is expected to employ 700 people.

But a Beebe spokesman acknowledged Monday the administration was aware of rumblings of possible trouble in the industry.

North Dakota wind tower manufacturer DMI Industries announced layoffs Sunday six months after publicizing plans for a major expansion. The company cited significantly lower than expected production demands for 2009.

"We've been hearing, even before (the DMI) announcement, that the wind industry is seeing some slowdown with the rest of the economy," Beebe spokesman Matt DeCample said Monday. "We don't know what the extent of the impact in Arkansas will be."

Beebe suggested Tuesday that LM Glasfiber's announcement was not surprising considering the economy and the company's rapid growth in Arkansas.

"They had ramped up faster than we had even anticipated, and by cutting back the 150 they're probably still on about the same course," the governor said. "But it's a reflection on the national economy."

Beebe said at their last meeting the nation's governors decried Congress' failure to extend the federal wind energy credit.

"What that does is, that creates uncertainty in those markets. It creates an uncertainty in that whole investment area. And when you do that, you're sending a mixed message," he said.

Fox said LM Glasfiber is confident growth will return, though he added "the time between ending this credit crisis and getting back to sustained growth -- you'd need a crystal ball to say how long that's going to be."

Frank Epps, president of Polymarin parent company EWT Americas, said Tuesday the company pushed back hiring of senior management in Little Rock during the fourth quarter of last year, in part because of the souring economy.

That hiring is taking place only now, which Epps said could push back the rollout of the first blades manufactured in Arkansas by several months this year.

[johngaltfla]

Boeing Commercial Airplanes to shed 4,500 jobs (http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/aerospace/archives/159072.asp)

The Boeing Co. will announce shortly that it will shed as many as 4,500 commercial jet-making jobs in the coming year. I'll have more when the official announcement is made later Friday morning.

The company had said late last year that it expected layoffs in 2009.

UPDATE:
The Boeing news release is posted below.

SEATTLE, Jan. 9, 2009 – Boeing [NYSE: BA] said today that employment at its Commercial Airplanes business unit is expected to decline by approximately 4,500 positions in 2009 as part of an effort to ensure competitiveness and control costs in the face of a weakening global economy.
The reduction will bring Commercial Airplanes' employment to approximately 63,500, similar to the level it was at the start of 2008.

"We are taking prudent actions to make sure Boeing remains well positioned in today's difficult economic environment," said Scott Carson, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
"We have made significant strides in recent years to achieve greater efficiency and productivity, but we still face challenges that we must address," Carson said. "We regret the disruption to those affected by this decision, but we believe that acting now will allow us to be in a financial position to adapt to market uncertainties, meet our customer commitments, continue investing in our current and future product lines, and protect our competitiveness in a fiercely competitive business environment."

Commercial Airplanes has begun a program to reduce overhead costs and discretionary spending. Although normal attrition and a reduction in contract labor will account for some of the job reductions, layoffs of Boeing employees also are necessary.

Many of the job reductions will be in overhead functions and other areas not directly associated with airplane production. This will enable Boeing to continue focusing on successfully executing new airplane development programs, delivering airplanes to customers, continuously improving productivity and quality, and supporting customer airplanes in the fleet.

Most of the reductions are expected to occur in Washington state in the second quarter of the year. Affected employees will receive 60-day notices beginning in late February. Boeing will support laid-off employees with layoff benefits and career-transition services.

Commercial Airplanes began 2008 employing more than 63,000 people (including contract labor) and increased employment to nearly 68,000 by year end.

[Jonas Parker]

DD, with an MS in Technical Writing just got laid off. Her husband is still employed, for now, so things aren't completely grim.

[roamal]

Friday, 09 January 2009 iMergent lays off 25 percent of workforce http://www.heraldextra.com/templates/rt_versatility_iii/images/printButton.png (http://www.heraldextra.com/index2.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=295545&pop=1&page=0) http://www.heraldextra.com/templates/rt_versatility_iii/images/emailButton.png (http://www.heraldextra.com/index2.php?option=com_content&task=emailform&id=295545&itemid=99999999) Grace Leong - DAILY HERALD
Orem eCommerce company cuts 60 workers
Citing slower sales as a result of the deepening recession, iMergent Inc. of Orem is laying off 25 percent of its work force, or about 60 workers.

After the layoffs, which include management executives, clerical and sales staff, the eCommerce company will have 250 employees. This is the second major layoff implemented since December 2007, when the company cut one-fifth of its workforce to save about $1 million in operating expenses.
The company said it does not anticipate it will incur any associated charge in the third fiscal quarter ended March 31, as a result of this reduction.
"Today's layoffs are based on current economic conditions. We've been seeing lower quality credit prospects due to the economic slowdown," said Jeffrey Korn, iMergent's attorney. "Because we have fewer customers, we are downsizing the company."
Korn said the company began notifying the affected workers today. He could not specify immediately if they will get severance packages or job placement help. He also couldn't specify if there are more layoffs to come.
"This action is a necessary response to current market conditions and our increased focus on the small to medium enterprise market," Steve Mihaylo, iMergent's chief executive officer, said in a statement today.
"Our employees are the heart of our organization, so it is with considerable reluctance that we are proceeding with this reduction. We will continue to monitor the demand environment for our products and services and make necessary adjustments to maintain our strategic focus and strengthen our competitive position. This reduction is one of many actions the company is taking to improve operating results," he said.
"We are using these operating improvements as opportunities to implement some of the changes I believe are needed to improve our business model," Mihaylo said. "We are working to reach more highly qualified prospects as well as limiting sales efforts in markets where we have encountered less qualified prospects due to the current economic environment. We believe these improvements will lead to improved profitability. We also believe, once the effects of these improvements have been realized, there should be a reduction in legacy complaints from customers and reviews by regulatory agencies."

[teadrinker]

Were my husband works they have laid off most of their workers. Those that have 25+ years are the few that are left.

The bosses walked into the front office this past Friday and FIRED 34 of the office workers....not lay off but fired....

About 7 to 8 people are left on the 3 shifts and I expect my DH to be laid off probably next week. Then I believe they will shut the plant down.

My DH said that they bought a piece of land in Mexico some time last year and last week they shipped some new molds for machine parts to Mexico...:evil:

They built a new plant down there....

[angelwing]

Just heard on the radio on the way in to work tonight, 4 Acme Supermarkets here are going to close (they are part of Albertsons), looking for a link as no idea how many ee's yet.

[Sassafras]

http://www.wandtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=9691429

Ill. factory lays off 26% of work force


Associated Press - January 17, 2009 3:44 PM ET
WOOD RIVER, Ill. (AP) - A railroad repair company in an Illinois suburb of St. Louis says it's been hit by the automobile industry's decline and must lay off 31 workers.
Manager Steven A. Prokopich of Wood River-based Watco Mechanical Services says demand for repairs to railroad cars is dropping as suffering automakers transport fewer vehicles by rail.
The blasters, painters and operators to be fired amount to 26% of Watco's work force of 120 people.
Prokopich says Watco is trying to get new contracts repairing other types of cars, including gondolas. He says the company hopes to eventually hire back some of the laid off employees.
United Steelworkers Local 9523 represents Watco workers. Vice President Jim Stumpe says employees understand the company's situation.

Information from: The (Alton) Telegraph, http://thetelegraph.com (http://thetelegraph.com/)
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[just me]

I didn't go through all 6 pages to see if this was posted so forgive me if it is a dup.

http://www.forbes.com/2008/11/17/layoff-tracker-unemployement-lead-cx_kk_1118tracker.html

Number of layoffs since Nov. 1, 2008, at America's 500 largest public companies*:

247,835

[suzy]

Where in this country, are these laid off people supposed to find another job? It seems so very few companies are hiring these days.

suzy

[RightWinger]

Jan 20, 12:40 PM (ET)

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. (AP) - Bose Corp., known for its high-end audio equipment, is cutting 1,000 jobs - about 10 percent of its work force.


http://apnews.excite.com/article/20090120/D95R0RA00.html

[betsy baker]

The Associated Press January 29, 2009, 2:08PM ET
Bon-Ton to cut 1,150 jobs, get rid of some bonuses

http://m1.2mdn.net/viewad/817-grey.gif (http://ad.doubleclick.net/click;h=v8/37c4/0/0/%2a/q;44306;0-0;0;27598434;209-120/40;0/0/0;;~sscs=%3f)
YORK, Pa. Bon-Ton Stores Inc. said Thursday that it will eliminate about 1,150 jobs, get rid of 2008 senior executive bonuses and cut 2009 merit-based raises as it tries to slash costs to contend with the ongoing recession.

The department store operator anticipates the moves will result in annual savings of $70 million.

The retail sector has struggled as consumers have tightened spending due to the continued housing slowdown, diminishing credit, escalating food costs and unemployment concerns.

Bon-Ton said its actions will also include suspending company contributions to the 401(k) program, adjusting inventory levels and lowering capital spending to $40 million.
The moves, which will occur in fiscal 2009, will result in one-time costs of approximately $3 million.

"We believe the reduction in force and other initiatives we have outlined will improve our cost structure and will better position the company for the current difficult economy and for the longer term," President and Chief Executive Bud Bergren said in a statement.

The company also said it is looking at the value of its intangible, long-lived and tax assets and anticipates a non-cash charge related to lowering the assets' reported value.
Bon-Ton said the amount of the charge would be determined later in the year.

Bon-Ton runs 281 stores including 12 furniture galleries, in 23 states in the Northeast, Midwest and upper Great Plains under the Bon-Ton, Bergner's, Boston Store, Carson Pirie Scott, Elder-Beerman, Herberger's and Younkers names. It also operates stores under the Parisian name in the Detroit area.

Shares of Bon-Ton Stores were unchanged at $1.25 in afternoon trading.

[BuffaloCreek]

Volvo Plans 650 Layoffs at Va. Truck Plant

Volvo Trucks North America plans to lay off 650 workers from its manufacturing plant in Dublin, Va., the Roanoke (Va.) Times reported.

A VTNA spokesman said 650 employees, or 40% of the plant’s remaining work force, would be laid off in March and April.

Volvo is cutting its production capacity due to lower demand, and said the “layoffs are considered permanent,” the spokesman told the Times.

Union officials said Volvo plans to cut production from to 50 from 77 trucks per weekday, the paper said.

Volvo and sister company Mack Trucks said in August they would combine manufacturing operations for on-highway trucks into the Dublin plant.

[TeeHee]

Fair Use applies

http://www.kctv5.com/money/18643287/detail.html

Time Warner Cable To Lay Off 1,250
Impact On Kansas City Workers Minimal, Company Says

POSTED: 6:35 pm CST February 4, 2009
UPDATED: 6:46 pm CST February 4, 2009


PHILADELPHIA -- Time Warner Cable Inc. said it is laying off 1,250 people over the next few weeks in the face of slowing growth at the nation's second largest cable operator.

The New York-based company expects to save $90 million a year from the job cuts.

The company employs 1,000 people in the Kansas City area, and it said the impact on Kansas City workers would be minimal.

The layoffs are in addition to the 500 jobs lost last year as the company restructured into six regions from about 24.

Earlier Wednesday, Time Warner Cable reported a net loss of $8.16 billion, or $8.36 cents per share, in the fourth quarter including a $14.82 billion charge to write-down the value of cable franchise rights and a loss of $13 million on the sale of cable systems.

It earned $327 million, or 33 cents per share, a year earlier.

Revenue rose 8 percent to $4.4 billion.

[Sugaree]

270 people got notice here at my work yesterday.

I work for a large well-known auto parts supplier/retailer. Effective May 17th we will be having a third party take over our transportation/hauling. This will affect about 30 people here at my location & almost 300 company-wide.

The vultures are circling and we are all walking around looking over our shoulders... who will be next? It's a little unsettling to say the least... thank God I prep 8)

[kelee877]

http://www.thestar.com/printArticle/584930


Nortel to axe more jobs to slash costs TheStar.com - Business - Nortel to axe more jobs to slash costs
Phone-equipment maker sprucing up balance sheet for potential buyers after bankruptcy filing: Analyst

February 10, 2009
Chris Sorensen
Business Reporter
More job losses are coming down the pipe at Nortel Networks Corp., now operating under bankruptcy protection, as the maker of telecom gear looks to slash costs by targeting everything from real estate holdings to the corporate jet.
Toronto-based Nortel has started several cost-reduction initiatives to slow the rate at which the company is burning through its cash reserves, according to a filing by Ernst & Young Inc., the court-appointed monitor overseeing Nortel's restructuring.
The initiatives include "a detailed plan" for reducing Nortel's global workforce of 30,000, although there was no word yesterday on how many jobs are likely to be cut and where the layoffs would occur.
Nortel employs about 6,000 workers in Canada.
Andy Woyzbun, a lead analyst at Info-Tech Research Group, said the job cuts are likely part of an effort to spruce up the balance sheets of some of Nortel's business units to make them more appealing to potential buyers.
"My prognosis for them is that they're going to get broken up and whatever they can sell will get sold."
However, he noted Nortel had previously been unable to find a buyer for its Metro Ethernet Networks unit, which was put on the block last September before Nortel filed for protection from creditors.
"This is just a really bad time for them to be doing this," he said, referring to the impact of the financial crisis and subsequent weakening of the global economy. "I can't think of any obvious takers, or else you would have already heard of them."
Nortel, once a high-tech stock market darling, filed for bankruptcy protection in mid-January with about $2.4 billion (U.S.) in cash on its balance sheet. The move followed years of restructuring as Nortel struggled to recover from a massive accounting scandal at a time when customers' demand for telecom equipment was falling.

Among the other cost-saving measures being examined are a review of the company's real-estate portfolio and information-systems equipment. Nortel has also cut pension payments to some of its former executives and plans to suspend the company's annual meeting, saying it would be a "distraction to management and other company resources."
Nortel also expects to save about $1 million a month after cancelling the leases for two corporate jets.

Chief executive Mike Zafirovski used a Challenger jet to commute from his home near Chicago and for travel to Nortel's various global operations and customers. Nortel's decision to file for creditor protection has allowed the company to cancel both leases without financial penalty, spokesperson Mohammed Nakhooda said yesterday.
Some have suggested Zafirovski's personal use of the plane was an extravagance. Nortel has lost nearly $7 billion during Zafirovski's tenure.
Nortel said in regulatory filings that Zafirovski incurred costs of $136,262 in 2007, the most recent year for which figures are available, for "personal travel on the company aircraft and commercial airlines principally related to commuting."
Executive use of company-owned planes became a hot topic in the United States after the CEOs of General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. Ltd. and Chrysler LLC sparked outrage by flying to Washington in search of a federal bailout last year.

[BuffaloCreek]

Marion consulting company to cut 78 jobs

By The Associated Press

MARION—Marion-based multinational consulting company Frank N. Magid Associates Inc. says it will cut 78 jobs by early summer.

The television and entertainment consulting company says a new data collection center is opening in Minneapolis, and says the jobs being phased out are focused on traditional telephone interviewing.

The company says 61 part-time positions and 17 full-time positions will be eliminated by the end of June.

The company employs about 250 people in Marion.

Company media strategy group president Steve Ridge says a "fundamental shift in consumer behavior" means the company can't rely on traditional methods like telephone interviewing.

[Navajo]

Micron to lay off 500, up to 1,500 more by August


Micron Technology says it will cut about 500 more jobs soon and up to 1,500 additional jobs by the end of August.

The Boise computer-chip maker said Monday that it will phase out its manufacturing of chips on 200 millimeter, or 8-inch, wafers because of deteriorating economic conditions and falling demand for the chips it makes on those aging wafers.

“We remained hopeful that the demand for these products would stabilize in the marketplace and start to improve as we moved into the spring," said Steve Appleton, Micron's chairman and CEO, in a statement. "Unfortunately, a better environment has not materialized, and we are at a point where we wanted to let our employees and the community know in advance what will occur later this summer.”

The company said it will continue to operate its 300mm research and development fabrication plant at the Boise site and perform a variety of other activities, including manufacturing reticles, product design and support, quality assurance, systems integration and related manufacturing, corporate and general services.

The latest layoffs were not anticipated or included in Micron’s earlier 15 percent global workforce reduction announcement last October.

After the layoffs, Micron will employ more than 5,000 people in Idaho, less than half the number it employed about three years ago.

Micron said it is committed to assisting employees affected by the work-force reductions and is providing severance and outplacement services.

The layoffs will hurt an already deteriorating Idaho economy. Micron's layoffs are "dismal" news for an economy that's already reeling from rising unemployment, said John Church, a Boise economist.

Two thousand layoffs will likely translate into another 2,000 jobs lost elsewhere in the economy as laid off employees can't afford to buy as much gas or food or even flowers from the local florist. It could take years for the Treasure Valley to recover from these job losses, Church said.

Gov. Butch Otter said state government will work hard to further diversify the state's economy and regain lost jobs.

"I am directing Roger Madsen and his crew at the Idaho Department of Labor to extend their hours at Treasure Valley employment offices, and I want to assure everyone that our state employees and resources are focused on serving Idaho citizens at this difficult time," said Governor Otter in a statement.

Micron said cash restructuring charges will be approximately $50 million, which will generate a gross annualized operating cash benefit of $150 million. The net operating cash flow effect will be neutral for fiscal year 2009.

The company said it has enough manufacturing capacity remaining and does not expect any disruption in product supply required for customer needs.

http://www.idahostatesman.com/eyepiece/story/677431.html (http://www.idahostatesman.com/eyepiece/story/677431.html)

[PeterGunn]

Ohio Basket Company Lays Off 295
http://www.newsnet5.com/money/18802388/detail.html
CEO Takes Pay Cut

POSTED: 12:36 pm EST February 26, 2009


NEWARK, Ohio -- The Longaberger basket company is laying off 295 employees and reducing the wages of salaried workers, including the company president.

The Newark-based company says chief executive officer Tami Longaberger will take the largest pay cut, of 15 percent.

The cuts include 120 management positions and 175 manufacturing jobs. The company says all the laid off workers can apply for seasonal positions that become available next month.

Tami Longaberger says the layoff decisions were difficult but necessary given the hard economic times.

The company says it's continuing a new, more environmentally friendly process for making its handcrafted baskets, and also continuing a made-in-America pottery line.

The company has about 2,000 employees. It uses independent sales consultants around the country to sell products directly to consumers.
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All rights

[BuffaloCreek]

Layoffs lag on
Electrolux cuts 85 more employees

By JESSE HELLING, Messenger staff writer
POSTED: February 25, 2009
WEBSTER CITY - Another week, another round of layoffs at Electrolux.

Company officials confirmed that 85 more employees at Electrolux's Webster City plant will lose their jobs Monday.

The layoffs are temporary, said Electrolux spokesman Tony Evans.

"Due to current economic conditions and the ongoing weakening of industry demand, Electrolux is continuing to adjust production at the Webster City laundry plant," Evans said. "These employees are subject to recall as business conditions warrant."

Last Thursday, the company announced layoffs of 43 workers, effective this week.

That brings the February layoff total, thus far, to 128 employees. Since November 2008, the washing machine and clothes dryer plant has laid off approximately 227 workers - and further cuts are on the horizon.

Electrolux officials announced Jan. 21 that 85 workers at the company's plant that makes central vacuum systems will be laid off this year, as the central vacuum system work is moved from Webster City to Mexico and Texas.

In 2006, company officials announced that 700 jobs at the plant would be eliminated because production of front-loading washing machines and their accompanying dryers was to move to Mexico. That shift in production has yet to occur, and Evans has said that all the recent layoffs stem from weak demand for appliances in the current recession.

At its peak, the Electrolux plant employed 2,100, making the company Webster City's largest single employer "by far," said Gary Sandholm, business and industry director of Webster City Area Development.

However, Electrolux has made no commitment to maintain a long-term presence in Webster City, Sandholm said.

"We're in a global marketplace," he said.

Electrolux's Webster City plant receives no government incentives, which are often tied to requirements of job creation, said Sandholm.

As a result, the size of the work force is strictly market-driven, he said.

With the current recession and resulting slowdown in home construction, the market for new washers and dryers has shrunk, according to Sandholm.

Webster City Area Development works to maintain an open line of communication with Electrolux executives, but "they are not easy to talk with," Sandholm said. Based in Stockholm, Sweden, Electrolux's North American headquarters are located in Martinez, Ga.

"They will tell you what they want you to know," Sandholm said.

In most cases, Webster City officials receive no advance notice of layoffs, he said.

Sandholm said that efforts are being made to get Webster City into position to make economic gains when the national economy rebounds.

"There are still quality companies looking to expand and relocate," he said. "We want to be ready to take advantage of opportunities."

Help for laid-off Electrolux workers looking to prepare for new jobs could be on the way, said Jim Kersten, associate vice president of development and government affairs for Iowa Central Community College.

Under an omnibus bill under consideration in the U.S. House of Representatives, Iowa Central stands to receive $333,000 in federal money for a new advanced manufacturing training program that would prepare students to work in technology-driven plants, Kersten said.

In the wake of additional layoffs, Kersten said that local officials will likely ask Rep. Tom Latham, R-Ames, to seek additional funds. The school had requested $750,000.

Should funding be approved, the training program could be up and running in four to six months, Kersten said.

Contact Jesse Helling at (515) 573-2141 or jhelling@messengernews.net

[Falls_Tech]

I live in a high-rise apartment building and just went out onto the balcony. Looking up and down my side of the building, I'd say that half of the satelite dishes are gone. Wow....I was somewhat stunned by that. I would think that those companies will be laying off workers soon.

[Reborn]

Legislation for Shortened School Week Moves Forward
2/27/09

KSDK -- The Missouri House of Representatives has passed legislation that would give Missouri school districts the option of a four-day school week.
Districts that choose the four-day week would lengthen each school day by an hour.

There would be 32 fewer school days each year, but roughly the same number of classroom hours. The bill now moves to the State Senate.

http://www.ksdk.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=168516&catid=3

[PeterGunn]

CANTON, Ohio -- Steel alloys and bearings maker Timken. Co. said it plans to cut 400 salaried jobs as it reduces costs to match a slowing market for its products.

The Canton, Ohio-based company said Monday that the job cuts represent about 2 percent of its work force.

The move is expected to provide pretax savings of $30 million to $40 million per year in selling and administrative costs. The company also expects to incur severance costs of $10 million to $15 million.

The recession has manufacturers cutting jobs at a rapid pace while new orders are falling.

Over the past 15 months, Timken has cut production, shortened work weeks and reduced operating hours to better align production to slower demand.

The company warns additional permanent adjustments might be necessary

http://www.newsnet5.com/money/18834306/detail.html

[PeterGunn]

AKRON, Ohio -- Akron-based FirstEnergy is cutting 335 jobs in its management and support staff.

The announcement was made Tuesday that a new organizational study on the energy company led to the staff reductions in response to the economic downturn.

"These are very difficult decisions, but they are necessary to ensure that FirstEnergy continues to be strong and adaptable in the face of uncertain economic times," said Anthony J. Alexander, president and chief executive officer of FirstEnergy. "While this reorganization has been under way for some time, it became necessary that we make changes now to ensure we have the right structure in place to meet the challenges ahead."

The reduction represents about 4 percent of the company's non-union workforce.

Eligible employees will receive severance benefits and career counseling services.

FirstEnergy's seven electric utility operating companies comprise the nation's fifth-largest investor-owned electric system, based on 4.5 million customers served within a 36,100-square-mile area of Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
http://www.newsnet5.com/money/18845306/detail.html

[contractor909]

XL, Manchester, Iowa, let 59 people go today. Some of the people that stayed noticed that their cars were vandalized when they got off work. Sad all the way around.

[just me]

Contractor909, That is sad. I'm afraid we may see more of this as people are angry about losing their jobs and feeling that they shouldn't have been the ones laid off.

[emoemo333]

http://utc.com/utc/News/News_Details%5C2009%5C2009-03-10.html?page=1&year=0


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Contact

John Moran

phone:
(860) 728-7062

March 10, 2009

UTC expands 2009 restructuring to $750 million in response to global economies; employment reductions of 11,600 expected; earnings guidance revised to range of $4.00 to $4.50 per share

HARTFORD, Conn.-- United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) President and Chief Executive Officer Louis R. Chênevert announced $600 million of additional restructuring actions for 2009 and now expects restructuring for the year to total $750 million. These actions will result in global employment reductions of 11,600, primarily from overhead and SG&A reductions throughout UTC. Additional hourly workforce adjustments may occur during 2009 based on market driven production volume changes. The expanded restructuring responds to anticipated 2009 revenues $2.7 billion below the company’s December guidance due to contracting markets worldwide.

Earnings per share guidance is being revised to a range of $4.00 to $4.50, including $0.30 to $0.40 for the $750 million of total 2009 restructuring costs net of anticipated one-time gains of $200 million to $350 million. Consistent with prior guidance, the earnings per share range excludes the impact of acquisition-related costs, if any, resulting from the adoption of SFAS 141(R). The revised revenue guidance of approximately $55 billion also includes $1 billion from the first-time adoption of EITF Issue No. 07-1, which covers revenues associated with engine collaboration agreements. The company continues to expect 2009 cash flow from operations less capital expenditures equal to or in excess of net income.

“The outlook for commercial aerospace and global construction markets has continued to deteriorate since UTC’s December investor meeting and the economic recovery previously anticipated in the second half of 2009 now appears unlikely,” said Chênevert. “These expanded restructuring actions are required to protect UTC profitability and are expected to position the company for resumed earnings growth in 2010. In 2008, UTC anticipated slowing economies for 2009, although not at the severity which has since developed. Savings from 2008 and 2009 restructuring and other 2009 actions will result in total cost reductions exceeding $1 billion in 2009. Employment reductions will total approximately 18,000 or slightly more than 8 percent over the two years. These difficult actions will allow us to continue outperforming peers.”

UTC also revised share repurchase guidance for the year to $1 billion from $2 billion while preserving the usual acquisitions placeholder of $2 billion. “We want to be in a position to take advantage of strategically attractive opportunities that may arise in the current market conditions. UTC’s strong balance sheet and operating cash flows enable us to do this,” Chênevert added.

United Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, Connecticut, is a diversified company that provides a broad range of high technology products and support services to the building systems and aerospace industries.

This release is supplemented by presentation materials that are available on UTC's website at www.utc.com, and includes "forward looking statements" concerning expected revenue, earnings, cash flow, share repurchases, restructuring; anticipated benefits of UTC’s diversification, cost reduction efforts and business model; and other matters that are subject to risks and uncertainties. These statements often contain words such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “estimate,” “believe,” “will,” “should,” “see,” “guidance,” and similar terms. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated or implied in forward looking statements include further deterioration or extended weakness in global economic conditions; further tightening or extended contraction in credit conditions; the impact of volatility and deterioration in financial markets on overall levels of economic activity; declines in end market demand in construction and in both the commercial and defense segments of the aerospace industry; fluctuation in commodity prices, interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates, and the impact of weather conditions; and company specific items including the impact of financial market volatility and deterioration on the financial strength of customers and suppliers and on levels of air travel; the availability and impact of acquisitions; the rate and ability to effectively integrate these acquired businesses; the ability to achieve cost reductions at planned levels; challenges in the design, development, production and support of advanced technologies and new products and services; delays and disruption in delivery of materials and services from suppliers; labor disputes; and the outcome of legal proceedings. The level of share repurchases may vary depending on the level of other investing activities. For information identifying other important economic, political, regulatory, legal, technological, competitive and other uncertainties, see UTC's SEC filings as submitted from time to time, including but not limited to, the information included in UTC's 10-K and 10-Q Reports under the headings "Business," "Risk Factors," "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," and "Cautionary Note Concerning Factors that May Affect Future Results," as well as the information included in UTC's Current Reports on Form 8-K.

[PeterGunn]

AKRON, Ohio -- Akron General Hospital is laying off 145 employees or 2.5 percent of its 5,778 work force.

Very few of the affected jobs are in direct patient care, said spokesman Jim Gosky.

The layoffs include administrative, clerical, managerial, and non-managerial staff.

"This is a very difficult decision, especially because of the impact it will have on our loyal, hardworking employees," said Alan J. Bleyer, president and CEO of Akron General Health System. "We appreciate all they do for our patients and we tried to do this in a way that will not have a direct impact on our patients. However, with national economic conditions and the ever-deepening recession, we feel this is the right decision to ensure the financial stability of our organization and preserve patient choice in our community over the long term."

A severance package is in place for most employees.

Most layoffs are effective immediately, but some workers have until the end of the week or next week because of contract issues.

"We are doing everything we can to improve financial performance," said Gosky.

Bleyer explained that, in recent months, health care providers around the country have struggled to deal with some of the most challenging conditions that have faced the industry in decades.

http://www.newsnet5.com/money/18898427/detail.html

[h_oder]

Just announced today, the Wonder Bread bakery in Columbus, OH is closing shop in May. 125 (?) eople out of a job. They are also closing another bakery in MO I think.

[midnighthauler]

Plan 9 Music here in Virginia is announcing it is closing. Although it was only a collection of about 6 stores it carried a very wide and varied stock that you usually can't find at most big box stores. From jazz to blues to international music you could usually find it there. In fact they were the only music store I visited that actually knew who Gontiti is. Although this closing will only effect a few employees it is sad because it is something special that is passing that will never come this way again.

[Bigbear77]

My previous employer (for ten years) just had another layoff, 22% of their remaining staff. They laid off 7% (114 people) in December 2007.

http://www.coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009903130313

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Excerpt from full article):

Advanced Energy Industries Inc. will cut 330 employees worldwide - 104 in Fort Collins - and shut down worldwide operations for 13 weeks this year to save up to $8.2 million, the company announced Thursday after the markets had closed.

The cuts amount to about 22 percent of its work force, said chief financial officer Lawrence Firestone.

All management and executive officers have also agreed to take another 5 percent pay cut in addition to the 10 percent cut instituted this month, Firestone said.

"The semiconductor and semiconductor-equipment industry is seeing the worst downturn in eight years, if not longer," (stock analyst Tim) Summers said.

Advanced Energy had previously cut its work force by 7 percent, 114 employees, and shut down operations worldwide for three weeks in November and December to save costs.

[Rustic Rose]

Apparently the Washington State Forest Service in Olympia closed their office effective end of May per my understanding. Sixty people will be loosing their jobs, including a friend who has worked for the Forest Service for 34 years.

Also, my husband who has been working in flood relief coordination in Lewis County, Washington, will be losing his job effective the end of March. His wages have come from contributions from various church groups and other contributors.

He also may not get unemployment since he worked his present position for a year but the quarter before he worked for our church in this capacity but it was considered a stipend, rather than wages.

Fortunately we have food and firewood that will keep us going and I'm still employed caring for my dad. The State of Washington pays me to do this. However, I read on the TTOL today that Washington State is $9 billion in debt, compared to the $3.5 billion our reelected governor tells us it was at the end of her last term.

So trust in God is my only secure thing in this world.

[Jethro]

Our local Caterpillar plant here in Lafayette, In. Just laid-off 436 production people. They make Cat engines.

[CWR]

Standard Aero let go around 24-25 people their last day is next Friday. Augusta GA.

[LP]

The shelves are bare in a local grocery store here in AR that we frequent that has been in business for years. My husband has come home the last few times he's been there wondering what was going on. He called there today to ask about something and got in a conversation and found out this store is out of milk and the reason the shelves are bare is because Affiliated Foods is in a world of hurt and has layed off a ton of people, so they're having a hard time getting product in. Said they are looking for a new supplier.

LP

[straightstreet]

28 layoffs this morning at local steel plant:
http://www.wpsdlocal6.com/news/local/story/More-Layoffs-At-Calvert-City-Plant/z5-Ho1hf4EGlmOrigl_R6A.cspx


straightstreet<><

[dragemoff]

Kobelco parts and asbly plt about to close doors. Calhoun,GA ...Also another heavy equipt. parts maker, Advanced Steel Technologys is working one week a month, and about to close doors. Rome,GA . And Thrall Car, a train car manuf. has closed doors. over 600 jobs loss i hear.Cartersville, GA.. Big O's stim plan kicks ass huh?

[louise]

An observation! As an interviewer I have noticed how many phones are disconnected, when I'm on the phone calling in the States! That tells me that the folks are no longer there, lost their home, job, or just could not pay their bills! I'm finding this more, and more!

[WarHall]

http://www.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200990624059
To compensate for a 15 percent reduction in state funding that will result in the University of Nevada, Reno losing $33 million during the next two fiscal years, 279 jobs have been eliminated on the campus. http://www.rgj.com/gcicommonfiles/sr/graphics/common/adlabel_horz.gif


That represents a 13 percent reduction in the university’s state-funded work force. Of those job cuts, 37 were the result of employees receiving notices of non-reappointment because of state budget cuts and 31 employees accepted buyout options.
The remaining positions were reductions resulting from shifting positions to nonstate funds or eliminating positions that were vacant.
No filled tenure or tenure-track positions were eliminated.
UNR spokeswoman Jane Tors said additional budget-related nonrenewal notices are not anticipated, but other job losses still are possible.
“In keeping with personnel policies, these notices may be issued for other reasons, such as performance or nonbudget-related unit and department restructuring,” she said.
Overall state appropriations decreased by 33 percent, impacting such UNR statewide programs as Oral History, the Center for Ethics and Health Policy, the Small Business Development Center and the Nevada Bureau of Mines.
Student Services, Development and Alumni Relations, Information Technology, Research Support, Facilities and the provost’s office also have seen significant state funding cuts, in some cases higher than 20 percent.
The university is closing several centers: the Equine Center on Valley Road, the Center for Holocaust, Genocide and Peace Studies, and writing and math tutoring centers. Students who take basic 100-level English and mathematics courses can obtain tutoring help, and the cost is included in the course fees.
UNR’s Career Development Department also has closed.
Provost Marc Johnson said the university’s centers and outreach services were the hardest hit by the budget cutbacks.
“What we tried to do is make sure it was possible for students to graduate on time,” he said.
In move that will save about $1 million, a large number of part-time faculty will be replaced by full-time faculty who will teach classes that will become larger, Johnson said.
(2 of 2)
“We’re not going to live without temporary faculty, but we’re reducing the number of letter-of-appointment faculty,” he said. “I can’t say how many that will be, but the minimum we pay them is $2,445, and we will reduce the number of temporary faculty by about $1 million worth.”
Rather than have full-time faculty teach more credit hours, they will teach more students by increasing class sizes, Johnson said.
“Throughout this process, we have tried to protect every seat, so although some classes will not be offered as frequently and some will be larger, we have asked faculty to not increase class sizes beyond the limit needed to maintain quality,” he said.
However, academic quality will be “marginally affected” by larger classes, Johnson said.
“For example, freshman writing classes ideally should have 15 to 18 students. Last year, we had 22 students in them, and the decision was to raise that to 24 students per section,” he said. “So, we are heading in the wrong direction, but we had to do it.”

[WarHall]

http://www.rgj.com/article/20090702/BIZ/907020330/1071/BIZ

Newspaper publisher Gannett Co. plans to cut 1,400 jobs in the next few weeks, about 3 percent of the work force, as it faces a prolonged slump in advertising revenue. http://www.rgj.com/gcicommonfiles/sr/graphics/common/adlabel_horz.gif


Bob Dickey, head of the company's U.S. community publishing division, informed staff of the layoffs in a letter Wednesday. He told employees that "there have been some promising signs of a recovery, but the reality is the improvements are not broad-based and the economy continues to be fragile."
The move follows a 10 percent cut at Gannett in 2008, which left the company with about 41,500 employees.
Gannett publishes USA Today, the Reno Gazette-Journal and dozens of other newspapers.

[grower]

My husband was laid off in December, and has not been able to find work. He files for his unemployment every Sunday online. Today, for the first time, when he went to their web site, he could not get in. Several times he got "The Server Is Busy" when he first clicked on the link, and then several times when he got in he would get halfway through the process and get an error message and it would lock up. There are going to be a lot of anxious out of work people in Alabama today! :sad:

[JoeWNC]

My company employs about 150 people. Fifty are gone. Residential (new) and commercial heating and air have taken the hits. Our parking lot is full of vehicles that noone is driving. We usually buy five new trucks every quarter. Not the last two.