Mike: The number of job losses in the US by Sony weren’t announced and they may not be that large, but Sony has its hands in many a US pocket and those job losses outside the US will soon show up on US shores as suppliers, distributors, technicians and marketers shed Sony related positions.
Sony Will Cut 16,000 Jobs: Dec. 9 (Bloomberg) — Sony Corp., the world’s second-biggest consumer-electronics maker, plans to eliminate 16,000 jobs in the largest reduction announced by a Japanese company since the credit crunch drove the world into recession.
Park Nicollet is cutting 233 positions: The Park Nicollet and North Memorial health care systems both announced workforce reductions today as Minnesota’s hospitals continue to suffer from the economic downturn.
Park Nicollet is cutting 233 positions — nearly 3 percent of its workforce — while closing its occupational medicine department and scaling back the office locations in which its specialists see patients. North Memorial Health Care is cutting 380 jobs — roughly 7 percent of its workforce — in response to a decline in patients and an increase in unpaid bills.
Dow to cut 5,000, close 20 plants: Dow Chemical, which employs more than 450 in Minnesota, announced Monday that it will eliminate 5,000 full-time jobs and close 20 production facilities in an aggressive push to counter the effects of the ongoing recession.
WOODLAND: Fleetwood closing: Fleetwood Enterprises is closing its manufactured home plant in Woodland, one of six facilities nationwide that the company is shuttering within 60 days.The closing plants will complete existing orders and immediately transition production to the company’s remaining 13 facilities to meet the current market demand, according to a statement released by Fleetwood Enterprises in late November.
The Woodland plant opened on North Pioneer Avenue in 1972 and employs 93 people.
Worthington Industries closing Phoenix plant
Worthington Industries Inc. is temporarily shuttering a metal framing plant in Phoenix as it deals with decreased demand for construction materials.
The Ohio-based company said Monday it was cutting 300 jobs — about 4 percent of its work force — in the face of the slow economy.
Mike: Another big tech dog feels the collar tighten:
Novellus Systems will cut work force by 10 percent, cut CEO’s salary
Mike: One of those ironic situations:
Web site that helps people find jobs has layoff More than 300 employees of the nation’s largest online center that helps locate jobs for the unemployed – CareerBuilder.com – have been laid off, including 20 from the firm’s Scottsdale office.
Another temporary layoff at Momentive: Momentive Performance Materials Inc. in Waterford will idle 230 to 240 workers over Chrismas, union officials reported today.
Job cuts riddle 2009 Spokane County budget: SPOKANE – On Monday, Spokane County Commissioners approved the 2009 budget, and some big cuts seem to be in the works.
Facing a multi-million-dollar budget shortfall, commissioners chopped the county budget by almost 3% and cut 62.5 positions from the county payroll.
Most of the cuts will come from not filling vacant positions, employees going part-time, and retirements. However, ten employees will have to be laid off to hit their projected numbers.
Tyco adds to U.S. tide of job cuts: Tyco Electronics Ltd. began laying off workers locally and throughout North America on Monday as part of a plan to cut its worldwide work force by 2,500 by the end of March.
Con-Way Freight job losses in Ann Arbor Township near 80:
Con-Way Freight cut nearly 80 office jobs at its new Ann Arbor Township headquarters – or 26 percent of its local staff – in response to a slump in shipping activity amid the nationwide recession, the company announced Monday.
Mike: The hometown rag has axed staff and now bastardized the opinion page, which was about the only worthwhile section of the paper. The D&C is more like a sales brochure for department stores with a little useful local filler thrown in, than a major daily newspaper. But that’s the way print media is headed and that’s not good for their workers or their readers. There will be more Brittany Spears stories and less investigative journalism in the days ahead for print media.
Job Cuts Yield Fewer Opinions on D&C Page: ROCHESTER, NY (2008-12-08) On the heels of laying off and eliminating dozens of jobs last week, the Democrat and Chronicle has a slimmer editorial section to match its smaller staff. The Rochester paper is merging its editorial and “Speaking Out” pages. Speaking Out features commentary from officials, citizens and experts about local and current events. The editorial section contains letters from citizens, pieces written by the paper’s editorial board, and nationally syndicated columns and cartoons.
The D & C says it’s now cutting back to about two editorials, one cartoon, two syndicated columns and enough letters as there’s space for on a daily basis, and cutting out the separate Speaking Out page.
Mike: The following video is just a little background on the D&C layoffs:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfIjjsejzTk]
Mike: Some good news on the hiring front caused by bad times:
Employment’s up … at unemployment office: At a time when many employers are issuing pink slips and cutting staff, there’s one place that’s bustling: the state’s unemployment insurance office.
It’s been so busy at the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training that the agency is hiring 20 new workers to answer calls from people who have lost their jobs.
More Workers Needed For NJ Unemployment Claims: TRENTON (AP) ― The state is assigning more workers to help cope with a growing backlog of unemployment benefit claims.
Governor Corzine on Friday directed Labor Commissioner David Socolow to deploy an additional 130 workers to help process claims.
Mike: Some facts about how unemployment benefits are funded: How are jobless benefits funded?
Q: Where does the money come from?
A: It’s raised through state and federal unemployment insurance taxes on employers. The federal tax is 6.2 percent on the first $7,000 in annual wages to each employee. State tax rates vary from state to state, as does the amount of each worker’s income that’s subject to the tax – which ranges from $7,000 to $34,000.
Mike: The next two years may be a good time to remain in school, since the job market is not hot. Grab that advanced degree and get ready for the next economic uptrend. Of course, money and loans may be an issue, but that bailout is likely to happen soon. Free school and loan forgiveness for everyone!
The Job Market for College Graduates: The gap between declining employment and rising unemployment is greatest for college graduates because they are leaving the labor force at a rapid rate.
Firms Rescinding Offers to Law Students: A year ago, firms were playing suitor, seducing recruits with fat salaries and meals at first-class restaurants.
The seduction has ended. Firms are now the cad. First came the layoffs. Then, during the fall recruiting season, some firms rescinded job offers to second-year law students — even before the official response date.
Mike: Shanghai or Chicago, workers are starting to sit down to be heard:
Workers stage sit-in at Shanghai factory; Nearly 1,000 workers staged a rare sit-in protest outside a Shanghai factory Tuesday in the latest sign of strain in China’s manufacturing industry, which has been hit hard by the economic crisis.
Workers at Republic Windows and Doors have staged a sit-in because of the abrupt closing: Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich says he will order all state agencies to stop doing business with Bank of America Corp. because of the closing of a Chicago manufacturing company.
Workers at Republic Windows and Doors have staged a sit-in because of the abrupt closing.
According to The New York Times , executives at Republic Windows and Doors said they need BofA to restore its line of credit to allow them to pay workers severance and vacation time. BofA cut the line of credit last week.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?q=lost+jobs&resnum=1&sourceid=chrome&um=1&v=F-0f56hCULM&eurl=http://news.google.com/news%3Frlz%3D1C1GGLS_enUS291US303]
Another Store Closing: PASCO, Wash– Another store is closing in a shopping center in Pasco and it’s never even been able to get off it’s feet. KNDU talked to the property manager of the Broadmoor Outlet Mall to find out why many stores have been unsuccessful.
Mike: No matter how low mortgage interest rates go, people are not going to buy houses without a job.
Foreclosure rates in R.I. accelerating, fueled by job losses: Job losses, declines in work hours, and other financial strains due to the deteriorating economy — more than risky loans — are now driving up mortgage default rates, economists say, and threatening to trigger another giant wave of foreclosures.
Mike: I’ve never trusted these types of surveys since they seem more tuned to emotion than fact, but here you go: Naples-Marco job prospects up, Fort Myers-Cape Coral looking dim
In Cape Coral-Fort Myers, 13 percent of the companies surveyed plan to hire more employees, while 19 percent expect to reduce their payrolls in the first quarter, said Mayra Nune z, a Manpower spokeswoman, in a news announcement. The outlook is described as “dull.”
In Naples-Marco Island, 23 percent of the companies interviewed for the survey plan to hire more employees, while 13 percent expect to cut their payrolls in the first quarter, Nunez said. Sixty percent expect to keep their staffing levels the same.
NYC Comptroller: City May Lose 165,000 More Jobs: The economic downturn has not yet found a bottom, according to New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson Jr., who says huge job losses still lie ahead for the city.
“We’re projecting over the next two years probably about 165,000 jobs may be lost—of that probably about 35,000 on Wall Street,” he said.
Applied Biosystems of Norwalk Moving to California; Jobs Lost: Norwalk based Applied Biosystems, which has been renamed Life Technologies, a healthcare and life science firm at Merritt Seven office complex, are closing their doors and moving to California by next July. About 100 jobs will be lost.
Danaher Corp. 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) purchasedTektronix Inc. last year for $2.8 billion. It has already laid off 150 Tektronix workers.
AbitibiBowater latest in 2-year run of area cutbacks: CALHOUN, Tenn. – AbitibiBowater Inc.’s announcement last week that it was cutting 150 of 800 jobs at its McMinn County paper plant as part of a corporatewide restructuring was only the latest in a two-year run of cutbacks by area manufacturers.
Mike: As a service to The Layoff List Readers, I’m going to start posting hiring links. These links will be placed on the right side of the page and I’ll start with a few less known sites. If you have any suggestions, please pass them along.
Mike: When the deep pockets of the NFL start cutting back, you know that the economy is bad!
Economic meltdown finally hits NFL: layoffs: The league said Tuesday it is cutting more than 10 percent of its headquarters staff in response to the downturn in the nation’s economy.
Commissioner Roger Goodell announced the cuts in a memo to league employees. 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.
Wyndham Worldwide to cut 4,000 jobs – The job cuts represent about 12 percent of the company’s overall work force. The pullback will result in charges of up to $75 million to be taken mainly in the fourth quarter.
Ypsilanti air freight company plans layoffs
Kalitta Air LLC, an air freight and maintenance company based in Ypsilanti, is preparing to reduce its work force because of the economic slowdown.
Vice president and general manager Pete Sanderlin said Tuesday he wasn’t certain how many employees will lose their jobs.
Solo Cup, Harland Clarke lay off another 270 workers Harland Clarke Corp. plans to shut down its check printing plant in Glen Burnie by the end of March, laying off another 120 workers.
Sonoco to eliminate 40 positions in Hartsville: Sonoco is eliminating about 40 positions in its Hartsville operations as part of a broader global realignment aimed at achieving about $28 million in annualized pre-tax savings, the company said.
ArcelorMittal closing Lackawanna plant: “I feel sad for the 260 people that are losing their jobs,” Polanski said. “Anytime anyone loses a job in Western New York, it is a bad day around here. Right now, the only product we have in Western New York is layoffs.”
EA Expects Low Profits, Job Losses: Look out for Electronic Arts on Wednesday, after the videogame maker warned that 2009 profits will fall below expectations amid weak holiday sales. The company behind Madden NFL said it will pursue job cuts and reduce its portfolio to save money.
Haworth to cut 350 Jobs: ALLEGAN, Mich. (WZZM) Haworth Tuesday became the last of West Michigan’s “Big Three” office furniture makers to announce significant job cuts. Haworth said it would close it’s Allegan seating factory in mid 2009, and seek voluntary job reductions at it’s plants in Holland and Douglas. In a statement, the company said the goal was to “reduce Haworth’s production ranks by 350 full time members in our West Michigan facilities.”
Praxair Trims Profit Forecast, Eliminates 1,600 Jobs: Dec. 9 (Bloomberg) — Praxair Inc., the largest producer of industrial gases in the Americas, reduced its fourth-quarter profit forecast and will cut 1,600 jobs because the recession is causing an “unprecedented” drop in demand.
American Greetings To Cut 275 Job: American Greetings Corp. announced that it would cut about 275 jobs, mainly at the company’s headquarters, as part of a cost reduction effort.
Mattson announces second set of layoffs: Mattson said it will “reduce approximately 20% percent of (its) global workforce through reductions-in-force and outsourcing.” The move is estimated to cost $3 to $4 million in severance charges.
Mike: The announcements are coming fast and furious this evening as companies make plans for job cuts across a large cross section of businesses. No one is safe from job cuts in this financial crises, but I’ll end today’s news with a bit of humor:
Rob Rogers - Dec. 9
