Mike: Today proved to be a lighter day for layoff announcements than we’ve become used to of late. No massive job cuts, but still plenty of smaller cuts that add up. My guess of 651,000 layoffs was high, but let’s see what the revised number is next week to see if it is again raised, as it has been almost every week this year. Job Losses of over 600,000 a week is a very disturbing trend. We did have one week where the losses were “only” 530,000, but that was influenced by the hiring of 66,000 Census seasonal workers. Extreme job losses need to end before this economy can even think of healing properly. On the bright side, I mentioned yesterday that the feds plan to hire 600,000 workers this year, so if you are looking for rather secure working conditions take a look at federal employment at http://www.usajobs.gov/. Till tomorrow, have a good evening……………..
Initial jobless claims fell by 12,000 to 631,000 in the week ended May 16, from a revised 643,000 the prior week that was higher than initially estimated, the Labor Department said today in Washington. The total number of people collecting benefits rose to 6.66 million, a record reading for a 16th straight week, and a sign companies are still not hiring.
via Jobless Claims in U.S. Decreased 12,000 to 631,000 Last Week – Bloomberg.com.
Stuart Carlson - May 21
Mike: Wouldn’t it be nice if we as taxpayers could cut the salaries of every bank executive that received bailout funds? Unfortunately, the banks are in the hip pocket of Congress and Congress itself has its pay raised automatically each year by at least the cost of inflation. So we have bailed-out companies and an inept Congress continuing to make exorbatant salaries while the people that pay them continue to get less and less.
– BURBANK – A day after voters approved a measure to limit pay hikes for elected officials in tough budget times, a citizens commission voted Wednesday to slash the salaries of the governor, state lawmakers and other state-level elected officials by 18 percent.
- Axcelis Technologies cuts 235 more jobs worldwide
- Ballot defeat means deeper cuts ahead for Calif
- U.S. weekly initial jobless claims fall by 12,000
- Queens Envelope Factory to Close (230 jobs)
- U.S. leading index up in April, first rise since June
- U.S. mid-Atlantic manufacturing contracts in May
- Autodesk posts 1st-quarter loss, plans to cut 430 jobs
- KeyCorp eliminating more than 300 jobs
- Microsoft/Google/IBM and other Rumors/News
General Economic News
Government Layoff News
US and some Canada Layoff News
International Layoff News
Hiring News and News You Can Use
– Microsoft/Google/IBM and other Rumors & News –
– Is cancer more prevalent among IBM employees exposed to chemicals in the Endicott plant?
Finding out, is the goal of a study being designed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
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8:30 AM ET
10:00 AM ETThe index of leading indicators, which is supposed to forecast economic trends six to nine months ahead, rose 1 percent in April after a revised 0.2 percent fall the previous month, the New York-based Conference Board said.
via U.S. leading index up in April, first rise since June | Reuters .
10:00 AM ETThe Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank said its business activity index came in at minus 22.6 in May versus minus 24.4 in April.
Though that was an improvement, it was still weaker than economists’ expectations of minus 18.0 and might call into question how quickly the economy is stabilizing from the worst recession in decades.
via U.S. mid-Atlantic manufacturing contracts in May | Reuters .
-“We hear it would be suddenly almost 2,700 people without jobs,” Hotea said. “That has a big impact on everyone, from individuals to the entire county. Some other businesses that supply [Harley] will probably also go under.”The diner feeds a lot of plant workers heading to or from their shifts. Even tourists stop in before or after touring the plant and its museum.
Harley workers were told May 11 that the company might close the plant. By the next day, Pennsylvania had called in the big guns.
via Harley threat to close plant reverberates – PennLive.com.
– Schwarzenegger said the budget cuts ahead may be more painful than California voters realize.
Tuesday’s ballot defeat was resounding, with two-thirds of voters rejecting the five budget-related propositions. They overwhelmingly passed a sixth proposition, which denies lawmakers and state elected officials pay raises when the state runs a deficit.
Defeat of the measures means California’s deficit for the fiscal year that begins in July will grow from $15.4 billion to $21.3 billion, roughly a quarter of projected general fund spending.
via The Associated Press: Ballot defeat means deeper cuts ahead for Calif..
– TRAVERSE CITY — More than 40 staff members in Traverse City’s public schools will lose their jobs this fall, partly due to a recession-worsened financial crisis and continued enrollment declines.
via Traverse City Record-Eagle – Article: 41 TCAPS staff members to lose jobs.
– CLINTON TOWNSHIP — A number of teachers in the Clintondale Community Schools district are going to receive letters notifying them that they’ll no longer have jobs at the end of the school year. The 15 probationary teachers will be laid off as of June 30, the school board decided May 11.
via Clintondale sends layoff notices to 15 teachers.
– SANTA CRUZ – Ten police officers received layoff notices Wednesday, part of a $2.3 million cut to the police department budget.
via Santa Cruz police officers laid off, $2.3M cut from police department budget – San Jose Mercury News.
– PENDLETON, Ore. (AP) — The cuts include teachers and instructional assistants. The district won’t buy new textbooks this year. It will cut 10 days of classes, freeze cost of living increases and cancel summer school.
via KAPPTV.com.
– SANFORD – Between 60 and 70 Seminole County employees will lose their jobs in the coming weeks, as the county attempts to solve a $47 million budget shortfall.
via Seminole County to lay off at least 60 — OrlandoSentinel.com.
– MUNCIE — Mayor Sharon McShurley gave official notice Thursday that 40 firefighters will be laid off within 30 days.
via BREAKING NEWS: Mayor to lay off 40 firefighters | thestarpress.com | The Star Press.
– Additionally, 13 teachers and two administrators either retired or resigned under the district’s Employee Severance Plan. Eight of those individuals will complete their time with Green this summer, including Treasurer Roy Swartz. The retirement or resignation of the other seven will be effective in June and July 2010.
via Green cuts 21 teachers, other staff – Canton, OH – CantonRep.com.
– Berkeley Unified School District sent pink slips to 10 classified employees Thursday, May 14, informing clerks, custodians and bus drivers that they would be losing their jobs at the end of the school year.
– Snoqualmie Valley School District issued cuts to nine teachers May 13. The district’s expenditure reduction plan, a blueprint for the 2009-2010 budget, required that the district shave 19.5 certified teachers, but attrition lowered the number the district had to release.
– Part of that includes cutting six teaching positions and giving an additional six teachers an early retirement incentive.
– US and some Canada Layoff News –
– BEVERLY — In the midst of a struggling electronic market, Axcelis Technologies laid off another 235 workers worldwide.
It’s unclear how many employees were affected at its Cherry Hill Industrial Park headquarters. The company did not return phone calls yesterday.
via Axcelis Technologies cuts 235 more jobs worldwide – SalemNews.com, Salem, MA.
– Island Chevrolet abruptly closed both its Hilo and Kona dealerships on Monday. The company had sent a plant-closing notice to the state saying it planned to shut down on June 20, but the closure was moved up.
via Only GM dealer on Big Island closes – Pacific Business News (Honolulu): .
– MIDDLEVILLE, Mich. – Auto-parts supplier Metaldyne Corp. plans to close its plant in Middleville, putting 110 people out of work.
via Metaldyne closing Middleville plant, 110 lose jobs — chicagotribune.com.
– Automotive supplier ArvinMeritor plans to close a plant in Northern Kentucky later this year, affecting 129 employees.
via ArvinMeritor closing Carrollton plant – Daily Business Report – Kentucky.com.
– CALGARY. Alberta, May 20 (Reuters) – Provident Energy Trust (PVE_u.TO) said on Wednesday it plans an unspecified number of job cuts, including senior executives, as it reorganizes its oil and gas production and processing businesses.
via UPDATE 1-Provident Energy to cut jobs in reorganization | Markets | Markets News | Reuters .
– Engine manufacturer Cummins will end the jobs of about 69 employees at its Viroqua plant July 20.
In a letter to the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development on Wednesday, the Columbus, Ind., company blamed “the economic recession and decline in customer demand” for the cut, which will mean the loss of about 30 percent of the plant’s 225 jobs.
– NEW LIMERICK — Forty-three employees at the Louisiana-Pacific plant in New Limerick were laid off on Wednesday in what company officials pegged as a “temporary” move for most of those affected.
via 43 laid off at New Limerick L-P mill – Bangor Daily News.
– HOLYOKE – MassMutual Financial Group laid off 58 employees Wednesday from its retirement income business.
via MassMutual lays off 58 workers – MassLive.com.
– The Baltimore Museum of Art will furlough about half of its 157 employees for two weeks as part of a plan to balance its budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
via Baltimore Museum Of Art To Furlough Staff – wjz.com .
– Getty Publications recently laid off 20% of its staff in a move to compensate for a 24% reduction in revenue last year from the endowment that partly subsidizes its publication program. Ten people, including both new and longtime employees, were notified of the layoffs in the middle of April.
via Getty Publications Cuts Non-Publishing Staff – 5/21/2009 7:38:00 AM – Publishers Weekly.
– While officials from the Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News were sharing their “good news” this morning about better-than-expected increases in single-copy sales and Web traffic, the Free Press, owned by Gannett, was also finalizing lay offs of about 10 percent of its work force.
via Michigan Messenger » Free Press prepares to ax 10% of its staff.
– Kairos, a Canadian ecumenical social justice organization, says it is dealing with major financial challenges by cutting five staff positions and restructuring its program areas.
via Anglican Journal: Kairos cuts staff and programs.
– NEW YORK, NY May 20, 2009 —The owner of a Queens envelope factory has announced the facility will close this summer, and 230 workers will lose their jobs. WNYC’s Ilya Marritz has details.
via WNYC – News – Queens Envelope Factory to Close.
– Waltco has headquarters in Tallmadge, Ohio. A May 19 filing by the company with the New York State Labor Department stated that the Buffalo plant, which has 57 employees and operates at 190 Lewis St., will be phased out. Layoffs will begin on Aug. 14 and continue through the end of April 2010, it said.
via After merger, Buffalo co. being phased out – Business First of Buffalo: .
– Umicore has decided to end all cobalt salt production at its Maxton site by July 31, a company official confirmed on Thursday.
The plant employs about 10 people.
via The Laurinburg Exchange – Umicore to close Maxton salt plant.
– This announcement will affect all of the approximately 77 employees at the Port St. Joe plant, and the company plans to provide them with comprehensive severance and outplacement assistance, including working with local officials to find job opportunities where possible.
via wmbb.com – Arizona Chemical Announces Closure of Port St. Joe, Fla., Plant .
– SAN RAFAEL, Calif. (AP) — Design and engineering software maker Autodesk Inc. posted a net loss for its fiscal first quarter Thursday, hurt by a sharp revenue drop, goodwill impairment and restructuring charges.
The company also said it plans to cut about 430 jobs and close some facilities.
via Autodesk posts 1st-quarter loss, plans to cut 430 jobs – Los Angeles Times.
– KeyCorp will end the quarter with “300-plus” fewer employees than it had in March, Henry Meyer, chief executive of the Cleveland bank, said today.
via KeyCorp eliminating more than 300 jobs this quarter, CEO says – .
-University officials say the 22 job cuts will save the university more than $2 million, once you add up the salaries, benefits and operating expenses. The money will then be funneled to what UM System Human Resources Vice President Betsy Rodriguez calls strategic priorities. Rodriguez didn’t offer any specifics, but did say it would fund initiatives like economic development and distance learning.
via KBIA: UM System Terminates 15 Positions (2009-05-21).
– UPS Airlines is laying off 80 more mechanics around the country, in addition to the roughly 60 is laid off earlier this year.
via UPS laying off 80 more airline mechanics | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal.
– Our media partner, The Princeton Clarion, is reporting the Hansen Corporation will lay off two dozen employees effective Monday.
via Hansen Corp. laying off more workers – 14 News, The Tri-State’s News and Weather Leader-.
– Ordered by Chrysler Corp. last week to close two of its locations by June 9, Don Miller dealerships in Madison say they will have to end the jobs of up to 35 of their 155 employees, effective June 3.
— MONTROSE, Colo. (AP) – JetAway Aviation in Montrose says it has laid off 20 employees amid a squabble with the county over an access permit to the local airport and fees.
– Provident spokesman DallasMc-Connell declined to specify the total number of job cuts, but said the cuts will include senior executives.
via Provident to cut jobs across board .
– Lincoln, Ala. (WSFA) — Employees at the Honda plant in Lincoln are now being offered a buyout in an effort to cut the work force by 275 positions.
via Ala. Honda plant cuts jobs – WSFA 12 News Montgomery, AL |.
– NEW YORK Management at the St. Paul Pioneer Press on Wednesday asked union leaders for $2.4 million in annual cuts and said jobs would be lost if the reductions were not made, the Star Tribune of Minneapolis reported.
– Around 2,100 jobs are at risk after the Birthdays greetings card business was placed into administration.
Clinton Cards, which owns the 332-store chain, said it had taken the “difficult decision” that it could “no longer continue to provide funding to its loss making subsidiary”.
via The Press Association: 2,100 card business jobs at risk.
– Lloyds Banking Group has announced it is cutting a further 210 full-time jobs from across the UK by the end of 2010.
Blake Lapthorn has launched its third redundancy consultation in the past nine months, with 33 positions under threat, it was announced today (19 May).
– Cerner has announced a round of redundancies of UK staff, based on the sharply reduced number of implementations it now expects to deliver.
The cuts were announced at a company Town Hall meeting last week and are expected to fall in key areas such as project implementation and customer training.
via E-Health Insider :: Cerner UK announces redundancies.
– American carpet tile manufacturers Milliken Industrials of Beech Hill is making a dozen staff redundant
via Redundancies at Milliken – Wigan Today .
– Guardian News & Media has shed 38 staff under its voluntary redundancy scheme since it was started in the early part of last year.
via Voluntary redundancy total up to 38 at Guardian News & Media | Media | guardian.co.uk .
-LONDON — Litttelfuse Inc., the Chicago headquartered provider of circuit-protection products, is closing its manufacturing plant in Duensen, Germany, and shifting production to Mexico as part of a number of measures being taken to reduce costs.
via Littelfuse to close German plant as part of global restucturing.
-The streamlining of parts makers is the latest step in Stringer’s drive, according to Sony.
Sony will reduce the number of its parts makers from about 2,500 now to about 1,200 next year. That message was relayed to suppliers this week.
via Sony to slash suppliers as CEO’s mettle tested – Yahoo! Finance.
– British secret weapons tester QinetiQ Group is cutting 400 jobs in the UK despite a 22 percent hike in full-year profits, risking further confrontation with trade unions threatening strike action.
via UPDATE 2-QinetiQ profit up 22 pct, cuts 400 jobs – Forbes.com.
– The redundancies follow a number of personnel departures already at the agency via TUPE, following the loss of the £220m global Hewlett Packard media business in February.
– Hiring News and News You Can Use–
– The board unanimously approved the PILOT applications for Pacific Paper Products Inc. to open a new manufacturing facility in Southeast Memphis and for Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) to expand its accounting offices in East Memphis by 130 employees.
– The selection of San Antonio as the home for the Air Force’s new cyber security command will result in a technology defense contractor more than doubling the size of its Alamo City office staff over the next 12 months.
via Defense contractor EADS plans to add 50 to 75 jobs – San Antonio Business Journal: .
– Post-grads in these 20 metros, where job growth is rising, should stay put.
via Top College Towns For Jobs – Forbes.com.
– The Georgia Department of Labor’s Rome Career Center will help Bentley Dye fill about 300 job openings for production workers in Gordon County. The company plans to expand its operation in Calhoun within six to nine mont
via Calhoun Times.
– MORGANTON — Gov. Bev Perdue today announced that Morganton Pressure Vessels LLC, a manufacturer of air pressure vessels and oil separators, filters and containers for absorption dryers, is expanding in McDowell County. During the next three years, the company plans to create 43 jobs and invest $2 million, including lease payments. The announcement was made possible in part by a $129,000 One North Carolina Fund grant.
Mike: See you Friday…………………….
Drew Sheneman - May 21
Tags: COBRA, cut jobs, economic, employment, factory closing, firing, hiring, job loss, jobs cut, laid off, layoffs, plant closing, positions eliminated, redundancies, staff cuts, unemployment, workforce reduction
