Mike: Be forewarned that this is looking to be a brutal day for job loss announcements as the headlines are full of bad news already:  Magna, Harman, Century Aluminum,  Estee Lauder, Alps Electric,  Tenneco, Bombardier  .

The  Jobless Claims number:

 Feb. 5 (Bloomberg) — The number of Americans filing first- time claims for jobless benefits unexpectedly jumped last week to a 26-year high, signaling a deepening deterioration in the labor market.

Initial jobless claims increased by 35,000 to 626,000 in the week ended Jan. 31, the highest level since October 1982, the Labor Department said today in Washington. The total number of people collecting benefits jumped to a record 4.788 million a week earlier.

via Bloomberg.com: Worldwide.

 

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef3cqr-rlNs]

 

Mike: The following comments by General Electric’s chief executive Jeff Immel are not surprising coming from an overpaid CEO who is running a company that is fading fast from its glory years. These trainwreck CEOs have to stick together and demand that they not be held accountable for nearly destroying their companies and the US economy. Managers never layoff managers and CEOs won’t talk bad of other CEOs. There are likely plenty of capable people who would think that 500k is a decent salary, especially if you consider the money they could make for bringing a company to profitability. It’s no wonder they don’t want any type of protectionism since many of these companies are making good money by shipping decent US jobs overseas. I don’t believe that we should close our borders to trading, but we need to protect US jobs because most multinationals, like GE, are going to keep crushing the American worker in the name of profit. And at the same time they will be sticking their hands in the US taxpayer till for bailouts and tax breaks, while sucking billions in government contracts. Many of these CEOs are narcissistic, egomaniacal, thieves and liars that would just as soon eliminate most of their American workforce if they could relocate those jobs offshore and still be able to grab billions in government contracts. Another rant over – for now.

 

“We’re against the ‘Buy America’ clause,” he said at a breakfast meeting. “It hurts trade and General Electric is a big net exporter. There is a danger of protectionism in this cycle.”

Immelt’s warning against executive salary caps came just hours after the administration issued a rule requiring banks that receive “exceptional assistance” from the government to cap salaries, including cash bonuses, at $500,000 for senior executives.

via GE head warns against salary caps, protectionism – Yahoo! Finance.

 

 

Ed Stein - Feb 5

Ed Stein - Feb 5

 

 

                      

 

Microsoft/Google/IBM/Cisco and other Rumors & News

 

* Cisco CEO John Chambers, in pursuing another billion dollars of expense reduction, just said on the networking gear company’s earnings call that the company could reduce its work force by 1,500 to 2,000 people.

via » Cisco May Cut 2,000 Jobs. But That’s Not A Layoff. | Between the Lines | ZDNet.com .

 

* Cisco has taken a number of measures to reduce costs and reorganize its business over the second quarter, including a hiring freeze. But Chambers expressed reluctance about cutting jobs in the near term.

“We are not going to consider (layoffs) at this time,” he said. But he added, that if Cisco was forced to cut jobs, it would likely be a large cut of about 10% of its workforce. Cisco employed 67,318 workers worldwide at the end of the second quarter.

via Cisco earnings fall on second quarter – Feb. 4, 2009 .

 

* LOS ANGELES–Many of the major film studios have gone through a painful round of layoffs and now the industry’s trade group is cutting staff, too.

The Motion Picture Association of America, much maligned by file sharers everywhere, has gone through a “significant” round of layoffs, according to a studio source. The source said the layoffs were well over 10 percent and more reductions are expected.

via Source: ‘Significant’ layoffs at MPAA | Digital Media – CNET News.

 

General Economic News

Mike: There is plenty of economic news today and you can see the results at: Bloomberg.com: Economic Calendar.

 

* Highlights

The monster employment index plunged 13 points in January to 118 with weakness evident through most sectors. All indications are pointing to acute payroll contraction for tomorrow’s employment report.

 

Jobless Claims
[Report][djStar]
8:30 AM ET
Mike: Again the jobless claims number surprises the experts. If those so called experts read this blog then they wouldn’t be so surprised. I’m more surprised that these experts still have jobs……..
* Feb. 5 (Bloomberg) — The number of Americans filing first- time claims for jobless benefits unexpectedly jumped last week to a 26-year high, signaling a deepening deterioration in the labor market.

Initial jobless claims increased by 35,000 to 626,000 in the week ended Jan. 31, the highest level since October 1982, the Labor Department said today in Washington. The total number of people collecting benefits jumped to a record 4.788 million a week earlier.

via Bloomberg.com: Worldwide.

 

Productivity and labor costs in the fourth quarter came in much better than expected but the results were due to the effects of sharp job cuts. Fourth quarter productivity increased at a 3.2 percent annualize rate, following a 1.5 percent rise in the third quarter.
Factory Orders
[Report][Bullet
10:00 AM ET
* WASHINGTON (AP) — Orders to U.S. factories fell for a record fifth straight month in December, closing out the worst year for American manufacturers since 2002. Analysts say the deepening U.S. recession will mean further weakness in coming months.

The Commerce Department said Thursday that orders dropped by 3.9 percent in December, an even bigger decline than the 3 percent that economists had been expecting. The weakness was widespread with a range of industries from autos to heavy machinery and computers all reporting big declines in demand.

via Factory orders drop 3.9 percent in December – Yahoo! Finance.

 

* Just as laid-off Americans are applying for unemployment benefits in droves, the state coffers for cutting those checks are running low.

     A December study by the National Association of State Workforce Agencies found that some 30 states could be at risk of having their unemployment trust funds run dry over the next several months. Already some states have taken out loans, according to NASWA, whose members manage state unemployment and other workforce programs.

     The financial squeeze amounts to a flaw in the jobless benefits system, which critics also fault for stingy benefits and outdated eligibility rules. There’s widespread agreement that unemployment insurance funding is broken. But how to fix it is subject to debate, with some arguing for higher taxes and others calling for Washington to give states more of the revenue it collects under the Federal Unemployment Tax Act.

via Many States Running Low on Unemployment Benefits | workforce.com.

 

 

Dilbert - Feb 4

Dilbert - Feb 4

 

 

Municipal News

 

* The Boston schools will have to eliminate at least 900 jobs, including 403 teaching positions, and explore the closure of additional schools as the system confronts its worst budget crisis in more than a decade, Superintendent Carol R. Johnson announced tonight.

 

* To meet a March 15 state-mandated deadline, the board of the Novato Unified School District Tuesday night voted unanimously to send layoff notices to the holders of the equivalent of 79 full-time positions.

via Novato Advance: NUSD Board to send layoff notices to 79 by By Mary Southall.

 

* SOUTH BERWICK, Maine — Citing multiple hardship factors, from an anticipated $600,000 state subsidy reduction next year, to a projected 10 percent increase in health insurance costs, School Administrative District 35 Superintendent Jeff Bearden announced Wednesday that 12-15 of the district’s 366 employees could lose their jobs by June.

via SAD 35 may have to cut 15 jobs – Fosters.

 

* ONTARIO – Nearly $4 million has been cut and 28 positions eliminated from the city’s mid-year budget in an effort to help the city during the economic crisis.

via 28 jobs, nearly $4 million cut from Ontario budget – DailyBulletin.com.

 

* HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) – As Governor Rell unveiled a two-year, $38.4 billion budget that cuts state jobs, commissions and agencies to help cover a state deficit of historical proportions, more red ink was piling up.

Estimates released yesterday by the legislature’s Office of Fiscal Analysis show the deficit may have grown to $8.6 billion because of plummeting state revenues.

via Rell cuts 400 jobs, 23 commissions.

 

*PROVINCETOWN – The Outer Cape’s only community medical facility laid off eight employees last week as a way to solve its financial challenges.

via Eight laid off from health clinic – Wellfleet, MA – Wicked Local Wellfleet.

 

* SANTA ROSA, Calif. — Nearly 200 employees of Santa Rosa Memorial and Petaluma Valley hospitals will be laid off within the next 60 days to help offset a $17.7 million budget deficit, the health care group that operates the facilities announced Wednesday.

via 182 Employees Of Memorial And Petaluma Valley Hospitals Being Laid Off – Reno News Story – KRXI Ren

 

US and some Canada News

 

magna-international* Magna International (MGa.TO) will close its gear assembly plant in Syracuse, New York, the Canadian auto parts maker said on Wednesday, after workers rejected a contract the company said was necessary to keep the factory competitive.

The shutdown of the New Process Gear facility will ultimately eliminate 1,400 jobs.

via Magna to shut New York plant, 1,400 jobs to be cut | Reuters .

 

century-aluminum* CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Century Aluminum is closing its Ravenswood plant and laying off 650 workers, the company announced today.

The company cited the slumping price of aluminum and high energy costs for the shutdown.

The plant will close Feb. 20.

via The Charleston Gazette – West Virginia News and Sports – News – Century Aluminum closing Ravenswood plant .

 

estee-lauder* The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. said Thursday it would cut 2,000 jobs, or 6% of its work force, over the next two years as the apparel firm grappled with a 30% drop in its second-quarter profit and a difficult outlook for the coming year.

via Estee Lauder cutting 2,000 jobs, earnings fall 30% – MarketWatch .

 

estee-lauder1* Cosmetics maker The Estee Lauder Cos. said Thursday fiscal second-quarter profit fell 30 percent, hurt by the stronger dollar and weak consumer spending environment, and said it would cut 2,000 workers as part of a restructuring.

via Estee Lauder 2Q profit falls, will cut jobs – BusinessWeek.

 

estee-lauder2* Beauty supply maker Estee Lauder said in its earnings report Thursday morning that its quarterly profit fell 30% from the same period last year.

 

harman* Harman said it would cut an additional jobs 1,100 jobs by July. It already has trimmed its work force by more than 900 jobs during the first half of the fiscal year mostly in the United States and United Kingdom.

 

thq* THQ Inc. said Wednesday it plans to cut nearly a quarter of its workforce after reporting a loss in its third quarter due to lower sales and a large goodwill impairment charge.

THQ said it plans to reduce headcount by 600 people by fiscal 2010 and reduce spending by $220 million. THQ, whose game franchises include “Saints Row,” earlier announced it would cancel several games in development, close five studios and cut 250 jobs.

via Los Angeles Business Journal Online – business news and information for Los Angeles California.

 

* Merix Corp., Forest Grove’s largest employer, is expected to trim 110 to 150 jobs as part of a restructuring of its shift schedules.

via Merix layoffs could reach 150 .

 

* Several employees at RR Donnelley in Jefferson City said they were shocked Tuesday when they were told they were out of a job – some for a few weeks, others permanently.

Despite numerous attempts, officials with RR Donnelley, formerly Von Hoffman Printing, have not returned phone calls or issued official information about the company’s layoffs.

via News Tribune.

 

* The newspaper didn’t specify how many people are affected but Rick Conrad, vice-president of the Halifax Typographical Union, said 24 of 103 reporters, editors and photographers will receive notices.

via The Canadian Press: Job cuts at Halifax Chronicle Herald and Globe and Mail as advertising dips.

 

* Already shut down due to a labor dispute with the United Auto Workers union, the Peterbilt truck factory in Madison will remain that way at least until the end of the year because of slow sales, the company said Wednesday.

“We’re temporarily closing the Nashville facility due to market conditions,” plant manager Larry Vessels said. “We do expect trucks to be built here again, but we don’t know when that might be.

via Peterbilt to keep truck plant closed until end of year | www.tennessean.com | The Tennessean.

 

* Two Hawaii restaurants have closed their doors in just the last 24 hours. Brew Moon Restaurant at Ward Centers, and Nick’s Fishmarket in Waikiki. The abrupt closures are the latest in a string of recent restaurant shut-downs.

Just after three Wednesday afternoon, General Manager Ben Dowling informed an estimated 60 workers by phone the restaurant was closing. Employees says he did not give a reason for the shut-down.

via Brew Moon and Nick’s Fish Market Close Their Doors | KHON2.com – News, Sports, Weather | KHON News . Video follows:

 

[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.779471&w=425&h=350&fv=autoplay%3Dno%26playlistxml%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.khon2.com%252Fhome%252Fplaylist%252F%253Fvid%253D39121242%2526ref%253D%252Fhome%252Fticker%2526vhi%253DY%2526exthi%253Dstream.tribeca.vidavee.com%252Fvidad%252Findex.php%253Fp%253Dget_movie%2526docKey%253D2366090B981F8FCFF0AD6579C7B46013%2526authority%253Dbim%2526ClientID%253Dbimtvbroadcast%2526seek_to%253D0%2526skipthumb%253DY%2526codec%253Dflv%2526gafv%253Dy%26bimEmbed%3Dfalse%26setAdType%3Doverlay%26textsize%3D16%26skip_preroll%3Dno%26docKey%3D2366090B981F8FCFF0AD6579C7B46013%26dcTag%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fad.doubleclick.net%2Fpfadx%2Fbi.khon%2Fhome%2Fticker%3Btile%3D1%3Bsz%3D320x240%3B%26bimAdType%3Ddoubleclick%26DartCompanion300x250%3Dyes%26dartCompanionRemove%3Dyes%26bimTremor%3Dtrue%26tremorSiteName%3Dbi.khon%26tremorZone%3D%2Fhome%2Fticker%26mediadomain%3Dmedia.khon2.com%26videoId%3D39121242]

more about “Brew Moon and Nick’s Fish Market Clos…“, posted with vodpod
* Minnetonka-based Snyder’s Drug Stores Inc. announced Wednesday that it will close or sell 19 of its 47 corporate stores in Minnesota by mid-March.

Snyder’s President Dave Schwartz said the company regrets the impact the move will have on customers and employees, but the closings are necessary in this economy. Company officials said hundreds of current employees will be without jobs, but they wouldn’t give an exact number.

via Snyder’s to close or sell 19 drugstores in Minnesota.

 

* Following the release of its 2009 economic forecast, The Coleman Co. announced Tuesday it will be cutting 39 nonmanufacturing jobs in the United States, including 20 positions from its facility in Wichita.

via Coleman Co. announces job cuts – Wichita Business Journal: .

 

* CORNING– The Union representing workers at the Twin Tiers largest employer is bracing to say goodbye to 80 more people on Monday, but the question is, are they gone for good?

     The 80 hourly workers are in addition to 115 plant workers throughout the Valley that have lost their jobs within the last four months.

via WENY-TV News – Local News.

 

* The Rogers Corp. this week announced the elimination of 90 jobs, 20 of them from its Killingly and Woodstock locations.

via Rogers plans to cut 20 local jobs – Norwich, CT – Norwich Bulletin.

 

* Wind-turbine maker Clipper Windpower Plc (CWPR.L) warned of a loss in the second half and said it cut 90 jobs, or about 11 percent of its workforce, amid production cuts and delay in customer turbine deliveries.

via UPDATE 1-Clipper Windpower warns of H2 loss, cuts 11 pct jobs | Markets | Markets News | Reuters .

 

* ON Semiconductor Corp.’s manufacturing presence in metro Phoenix will be nil by next year, when the chipmaker will close its remaining Valley fabrication plant.

The semiconductor manufacturer on Wednesday said that it will close the facility, which makes filters, diodes, rectifiers and transistors for electronic devices, by the end of the first quarter of 2010. Its other fabrication plant in Phoenix closed last year.

The announced closure eliminates 350 manufacturing jobs in metro Phoenix. Production will be moved to ON’s plant in Malaysia.

via ON to close Valley plant; 350 workers to lose jobs.

 

* NEW YORK News Corp. is expected to cut jobs at its London and New York newspapers in the coming weeks, the Financial Times reports today.

The FT reports that News International, whose papers include The Times, Sunday Times and The Sun, has nearly completed an efficiency review conducted by the Boston Consulting Group and could cut up to 50 jobs, or some 2.5% of its staff, although some new posts could be created.

via News Corp. to Cut 25 at ‘WSJ,’ Says ‘Financial Times’ .

 

borgwarner* BorgWarner plants in Ithaca and Cortland laid off 220 employees last month, bringing total jobs lost at the manufacturing company since last summer to roughly 550.

via BorgWarner laid off 220 in January | theithacajournal.com | The Ithaca Journal.

 

* The trucks that bring logs to the AbitibiBowater mill in Grand Falls-Windsor were ominously silent Thursday, as 250 forestry workers were told Wednesday they are officially out of work.

via Forestry workers laid off early by Abitibi.

 

* Americo Financial Life & Annuity Insurance Co., a Kansas City-based insurer, laid off more than 100 employees recently, or more than 20 percent of its work force, according to company sources.

via KC-based insurer Americo lays off 100 workers – Kansas City Star.

 

fidelity* Fidelity Investments’ Covington operation, in the second phase of a companywide downsizing, has laid off about 300 employees, Northern Kentucky Tri-ED confirmed Wednesday.

via Fidelity lays off 300 in Covington – Business Courier of Cincinnati: .

 

* In the latest layoffs, more than 30 union workers are finding out their jobs are being cut.    

“Everyone is just kind of hunkering down and starting to think about how am I going to get through this,” said Local 1000 Union President, Mike Walker.

via More Layoffs at Corning Inc. – WETM 18 Online .

 

* Quadra Mining, the Canadian parent company of the Robinson Nevada Mining Company, announced the layoff of 24 RNMC employees yesterday and that it has replaced General Manager Bruce Kennedy and at least one other manager at the Ruth mining operation. There is also talk of delaying dewatering plans for the Ruth Pit.

via The Ely Times – elynews.com :: News: Quadra lays off 5% of workers.

 

* As the economy has slammed several industry sectors and the companies within, it has taken a toll on Morton Metalcraft Co., an official there said Wednesday.

The metal fabrication company that counts among its top clients Caterpillar Inc. and Deere & Co. has nearly 20 percent of its work force on layoff, said Peter Ellis, vice president of operations.

About 200 of the company’s 1,000-plus employees at its two Morton plants – on Birchwood Street and Detroit Avenue – have been laid off over a period of a few months, and never very many at one time, Ellis said.

via Economy forces layoffs at Morton Metalcraft – Peoria, IL – pjstar.com.

 

* Reports of a large number of employee layoffs – ranging from 90 to 150 – at Pampa’s National Oilwell Varco facility had not been verified at press time.

via The Pampa News.

 

* The weakened economy claimed another casualty this week as Mount Airy Casino Resort said it will lay off about 2 percent of its work force in an effort to control costs.

via Downturn hits Mount Airy: Casino to lay off about 20 people – poconorecord.com – The Pocono Record.

 

* RANTOUL – A pork-processing plant here temporarily laid off its 600 workers as it faces a cash-flow crunch.

via The News-Gazette.com: Pork plant in Rantoul temporarily lays off 600.

 

* Eight Seattle employees were laid off from Northwest Cable News this week and three others were let go with the closure of the station’s Portland bureau, though two of those three were rehired by Belo-owned stations in Seattle and Portland.

via Business & Technology | Northwest Cable News announces layoffs | Seattle Times Newspaper.

 

* Swedish Hospital plans to eliminate 200 jobs in the coming months — nearly 3 percent of its total staff — according to a report which cited an internal memo.

via Layoffs at Swedish Hospital, none in Ballard » My Ballard .

 

* ST. CHARLES – Seventy-seven people will be laid off in April when Pier 1 Imports Inc. permanently shuts the doors of its distribution center in St. Charles, city officials said Wednesday.

via Kane County Chronicle | St. Charles’ Pier 1 distribution center to close; 77 to lose jobs.

 

* Auto parts maker Tenneco Inc  posted a wider quarterly loss on Thursday due to tumbling vehicle production and said it is closing three plants and slashing 1,100 jobs.

via UPDATE 1-Tenneco posts wider loss, closing plants | Industries | Consumer Goods & Retail | Reuters .

 

* Two more Greater Cleveland companies announced job cuts Wednesday.

Lubrizol Corp., the specialty chemicals manufacturer with headquarters in Wickliffe, said it is cutting 170 jobs, or about 2.4 percent of its worldwide employees, including about 90 in Northeast Ohio.

via Lubrizol Corp. cuts 170 jobs; Applied Industrial Technologies cuts 34 jobs – Business – cleveland.com.

 

* Lincoln National Corp. has cut 5 percent of its workforce, a local spokeswoman confirmed Wednesday.

About 550 of the financial services company’s 10,870 workers lost their jobs last week because of “the continued market volatility and the economic environment,” spokeswoman Annette Moser said.

via 550 lose jobs with Lincoln | The Journal Gazette.

 

* OMAHA, Neb. — Omaha-based NetShops, a niche online-marketing company, laid off 42 workers Thursday.

via 42 NetShops Workers Lose Jobs – Omaha News Story – KETV Omaha.

 

peterbilt* Peterbilt Motor Co. is shuttering its Madison factory indefinitely.

That news comes seven months after the plant halted manufacturing when the company and the United Auto Workers Local 1832 were unable to agree on a new contract in June.

via Peterbilt closing plant in Madison – Nashville Business Journal: .

 

* Retail chain The Talbots Inc. said it will eliminate 370 jobs, or about 17 percent of the company’s work force, in a $150 million cost-cutting effort triggered by a prolonged slump in consumer spending.

via Talbots to cut 370 jobs, $150M in costs – Atlanta Business Chronicle: .

 

bombardier* Bombardier Aerospace will be cutting 350 total jobs in Wichita, in response to a reduction in its Learjet and Challenger programs.

Bomardier will eliminate 1,360 jobs worldwide, the company announced Thursday. The reduction will include 1,010 temporary workers and subcontractors and 350 permanent employees.

via Bombardier to cut 1,360 jobs, including 350 in Wichita – Wichita Business Journal: .

 

bombardier1* Feb. 5 (Bloomberg) — Bombardier Inc., the world’s third- largest maker of commercial aircraft, plans to cut 1,360 jobs at its aerospace unit, or 4.5 percent of the division’s workforce, as deliveries of business jets are projected to drop this year.

 

* Elizabeth Arden said it would begin to cut an unspecified number of jobs as it consolidates functions such as accounting and finance ahead of schedule.

via Elizabeth Arden 2Q profit falls – Forbes.com.

 

* Northern Safety Co. Inc. eliminated 38 positions from its central New York location, company officials announced Thursday.

via Northern Safety cuts 38 local jobs – Utica, NY – The Observer-Dispatch.

 

* Brown Shoe Co. said Thursday that it will cut about 12 percent to 14 percent of its domestic work force starting this month as part of an effort to save $28 million to $31 million a year.

The job cuts will not include stores and distribution centers, the footwear company said. An unspecified number of jobs will also be eliminated from its Far East sourcing operations, stores and distribution centers, with pay cuts implemented as well.

via Brown Shoe to cut up to 14 percent of some jobs – Forbes.com.

 

* Wiremold/Legrand, a wire and cable system manufacturer, said today it will cut half the jobs at its West Hartford manufacturing plant beginning in September.

The number of jobs to be cut and total current employment at Wiremold were not immediately available.

via Wiremold To Cut Jobs At West Hartford Plant — Courant.com.

 

* Not right now. After the layoffs, the Chicago Blue Men are down to three full-time drummers, provocateurs and marshmallow munchers, plus a couple of part-time guys who fill in as needed. And while the schedule has always changed according to the time of year, the February slate looks much thinner than usual. The late-night show appears to have been nixed on several winter Fridays.

via Blue Man Group layoffs; cobalt visage no protection from pink slip | The Theater Loop – News from America’s hottest theater city.

 

* PERRYVILLE, Mo. – Citing a sudden unforeseen drop in sales for the first quarter of 2009, officials with TG Missouri announced it will temporarily lay off more than 140 production and support team members effective Feb. 9.

via seMissourian.com: Story: TG Misssouri lays off 140 at Perryville plant.

 

* The Telegraph’s printing operations are moving to Columbus, and 58 employees in production-related jobs at the newspaper will be laid off, Publisher George McCanless announced Thursday.

via Telegraph announces more layoffs; printing moving to Columbus – Breaking News – Macon.

 

* WATERVILLE, N.S. — Ninety-five employees at one of the three Michelin plants in Nova Scotia will soon be out of work.

A spokesperson for the tire maker, Lynn Mann, says the so-called “flex” employees in Waterville will be laid off indefinitely as of April 1.

via The Canadian Press: Almost 100 workers facing layoff at Michelin plant in Waterville, N.S..

 

* Reeling from a precipitous slump in global holiday sales in November and December, Tiffany & Co., the New York-based jewelry chain, has laid off an undisclosed number of employees around the world, including several at its Westport and Greenwich stores.

via Tiffany reveals layoffs – The Advocate.

 

* The Tennessee Dept. of Labor has confirmed to NewsChannel 9 that 350 employees will be laid off from the Whirlpool Plant in Cleveland, however the layoffs are expected to be temporary.

via 350 Whirlpool Layoffs Confirmed | layoffs, whirlpool, newschannel – Local News – WTVC Newschannel9.com.

 

* LYONS, Colo. — Citing low market demand for its cement, Cemex SAB this week laid off just under 40 employees at its Lyons plant, officials said.

via Layoffs hit Lyons Cemex plant : Local Business : Boulder Daily Camera.

 

* Lawrenceville, Ga.-based Wings Air said the U.S. Department of Transportation gives a subsidy to a competing carrier that it claims uses predatory pricing to drive it out of the market. Wings Air’s revenue has been severely impacted, it said. As a result, about 50 percent of Wings Air’s staff have been laid off or furloughed.

via Wings Air grounds some service, trims jobs – Atlanta Business Chronicle: .

 

* Koetter Woodworking Inc. says it shut down the Forest Discovery Center because of economic conditions and declining attendance. The company also has cut its work force from 475 to 330 employees in recent months.

via WTHR | Indianapolis -Ind. wood company cuts jobs, shuts forest center.

 

* Wausau Coated Products this week cut 18 jobs at its Wausau headquarters in response to an abrupt decline in sales in recent months, a company official said today.

via Wausau Coated Products cuts 18 jobs | wausaudailyherald.com | Wausau Daily Herald.

 

* The company that operates a Beaumont plant that never restarted after Hurricane Ike announced Thursday, February 5, 2009 that they are laying off nearly half its employees. Equistar Chemicals, LP said today it is laying off 75 people at its PD Glycol plant in Beaumont on Gulf States Road.

via PD Glycol Plant in Beaumont to Layoff Half of Workforce | KBMT ABC 12 – News, Weather and Sports – Beaumont – Port Arthur, TX Beaumont – Port Arthur, Texas | Local News Top Stories .

 

* LAS CRUCES — Almost a year after 30 contract employees were laid off at the High Energy Laser System Test Facility, more layoffs were confirmed Wednesday by White Sands Missile Range officials.

 

 

International News

 

* Japan’s Alps Electric Co. said Wednesday it will eliminate a total of 13,000 jobs in its slumping electronic parts operations, mainly at overseas bases, by the end of March to weather the global downturn.

via Alps Electric to Cut 13,000 Jobs Globally .

 

* Feb. 5 (Bloomberg) — Spreading strikes, reduced workweeks and tens of thousands of job cuts are throwing British Prime Minister Gordon Brown back to the 1970s.

With 16 months before he has to call an election, Brown is facing the toughest test of a Labour premier since James Callaghan’s so-called Winter of Discontent in 1979, after which the party was cast out of office for almost two decades.

“They’ve sold us down the river,” said Charles Hilton, 61, an electrician from Hull in northern England who was out on strike yesterday with local oil-refinery workers. “We’re going to see civil unrest in this country. It’s already started. It will grow unless things are sorted.”

via Bloomberg.com: Worldwide.

 

* Intel plans to restructure its China operations due to weak global economic conditions, including shutting a factory in Shanghai.

The plant closure could affect up to 2,000 people, but Intel said it will offer employees the chance to move to Chengdu or Dalian.

via Intel to Revamp China Operations, Will Close Shanghai Plant – PC World.

 

* A long-running north Norfolk food, hamper and gift company – which started in Wells and sold goods to British shopping icons such as Boots and Harrods, as well as countries all over the world – is closing with the loss of 20 jobs.

via Dereham Times – Former Wells hamper company to close.

 

* Panasonic job losses in Wales would be a disaster, Jenny Willott, Welsh Liberal Democrat MP for Cardiff Central, said today.

The Japanese electronics firm today said it was shutting 13 manufacturing sites in Japan and 14 abroad by the end of March.

It also plans to lay off about 15,000 workers, or 5 percent of its work force, by March 2010. Half of the cuts will be made in Japan.

Panasonic employs 640 at its Cardiff base, which manufactures electronic products and is the European research and development centre.

via News Wales > Community > Wales panic over Panasonic job cuts.

 

* Feb. 5 (Bloomberg) — Ford Motor Co. will cut as many as 850 jobs in the U.K. and delay the introduction of a new version of its best-selling Transit van as demand for autos and commercial vehicles slumps amid a global recession.

via Bloomberg.com: Europe.

 

* Ryanair (RYA.I), Europe’s largest low-cost airline, will cut the number of routes served from its Shannon hub in the west of Ireland, with the loss of about 800 jobs in the area, it said on Thursday.

via Ryanair trims Shannon base, sees 800 job losses | Industries | Industrials, Materials & Utilities | Reuters .

 

* ONESTEEL warned today more job cuts are to follow after it swung the axe on its management team to reduce costs.

The management restructure at Australia’s second biggest steelmaker comes after the company was forced to cut steel production by 300,000 tonnes as market conditions deteriorated late in calendar 2008.

via OneSteel to axe more jobs after management cut | The Australian.

 

* 90 staff are to be laid off by Pobal, a not-for-profit company that manages programmes on behalf of the government and the EU.

via RTÉ News: 90 jobs to be lost at Pobal.

 

* Today (Thursday), the accountants now running the former Virgin Megastore chain announced the immediate closure of 17 UK branches – including Hemel Hempstead.

via Jobs lost as Zavvi shuts – Hemelhempstead Today .

 

* 44 jobs will be lost with the impending closure of a number of grain stores in Louth and Meath, it emerged today.

via 44 jobs to go this year as Drummonds grain stores close – Ireland, Breaking News – Belfasttelegraph.co.uk.

 

* A total of 450 full-time posts will be lost as part of ST Microelectronics’ downsizing plans to curb the international financial turmoil, the General Workers’ Union said on Thursday.

via DI-VE – News Details.

 

*  One of Bath’s largest private employers will be shedding 130 jobs in the next two months.

via Helphire Bath job losses.

 

* Swedish telecom equipment maker Ericsson (ERICb.ST) will cut 300 of its 1,700 jobs in Ireland as part of plans to save 10 billion Swedish crowns ($1.2 billion), the company said on Thursday.

via Ericsson to cut 300 jobs in Ireland | Reuters .

 

* IBM has called for 120 voluntary redundancies at its Dublin operations while in Galway contract electronics manufacturer Celestica has revealed that it is to cut 80 jobs as manufacturing activities continue to shift to lower cost economies.

 

Hiring News

 

Mike: More as the day unfolds……………..

 

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more about “Colbert Platinum – Ass-Covering Editi…“, posted with vodpod

 

 

 

Ben Sargent - Feb 4

Ben Sargent - Feb 4

 

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3 Comments to “February 5 – Jobless claims at 626,000 – Estee Lauder cuts 2000 – 1400 gone at Magna (Syracuse) – Bombardier drops 1360 – Harman quiets 1100 jobs – Tenneco dumps 1100 – Century Aluminum cans 650 – Cisco to cut 2000? – Japan’s Alps Electric terminates 13,000 – THQ games 600 out of jobs – Ryanair grounds 800 Irish jobs – Blue Men bluer after job cuts”

  1. Interesting blog. Cartoon’s are very funny. Thank you for sharing.

  2. Marry says:

    Hello

    Nice site, you should also add careerjet.com to your employment site list. its one of the biggest like monster and careerbuilder

  3. layofflist says:

    Thanks for the information, Marry. The site has been added.

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