Layoff Tracker

Abbott Laboratories layoffs 700 employees

2012-01-27T07:53:00.004+05:30

Abbott Laboratories notified 700 employees Wednesday that they will be out of work.

Most of those employees work on company's vascular business, particularly the Xience stent that the company will no longer make – it was part of a partnership agreement with Boston Scientific that dates to 2006 and was set to expire this year. Boston Scientific produces and sells its own stent, the Promus.

The layoffs were announced the same day Abbot Laboratories announced that fourth quarter earnings jumped 12.3 percent, to $1.6 billion, compared with $1.4 billion for the same period in 2010.

This latest round of cuts is not entirely unexpected. Spokesperson Adelle Infante says that the 200 jobs eliminated in Illinois are part of an efficiency program that was announced four years ago. Infante says California will lose 300 jobs and Puerto Rico 100, with the remainder to be spread across Abbott locations.

Abbott Labs announced a year ago that it would cut 1,900 jobs globally due to economic weakness and health reform, among other causes. This was preceded by their 2010 announcement that they would slash 3,000 jobs by 2012.

The company's top-earning drug, Humira, which is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and Crohn's disease, had $3.4 billion in domestic fourth-quarter sales and $4.5 billion in international sales.

Deutsche Bank research analyst Barbara Ryan writes in a January research note that Abbott's pipeline is sluggish and that its $7.9 billion in sales for 2011 is not enough to insulate the company, which she predicts will see its next strong seller “later in the decade.” Ryan also writes that competitors and expiring patents are eating away at the company's generics business as Tricor/Triplix go off patent in 2012 and 2014, Niaspan loses its protection in 2013, Androgel in 2015, and Kaletra in 2016.

Source: MMM Online

Amonix cuts 200 jobs

2012-01-27T07:52:00.003+05:30

As President Barack Obama's message of clean energy still resonates in the Las Vegas valley, a solar plant in North Las Vegas is laying off several hundred workers.

The employees of an Amonix contractor say they just got the word on Monday and pink slips Tuesday.

The contractor says they're re-tooling to produce new technology, and that is the reason for the layoff. Amonix says it's cycling out its old systems and doesn't need as many employees. They went from about 300 workers down to 100.

Just seven months ago, Governor Brian Sandoval, Representative Shelley Berkley and North Las Vegas Mayor Shari Buck talked about the hundreds of clean energy jobs that would boost the economy.

Some employees say the announcement came out of nowhere.

"(I'm) praying that we get called back to work," said laid off worker Louis Cattuah. "(I) filed for unemployment -- take whatever that is and just keep praying and look forward."

Cattuah has worked at the plant since last April. He has a wife but no kids. He says he's concerned about some of his co-workers who did have younger mouths to feed.

Amonix says the cuts are temporary and they plan to re-hire in the second half of the year. They say former employees like Cattuah will have top priority.

Source: News Now

600 layoffs at ConocoPhillips Refinery

2012-01-27T07:50:00.002+05:30

Layoff notices went out for Thursday and Friday at the ConocoPhillips Refinery in nearby Trainer.

“Officially we are finished work by the 31st of January,” said Dennis Stephano, President of the Steelworkers Local Union. He says not only are 190 union members at the refinery losing their jobs, but management and contractors too. He says the total comes to about 600 layoffs.

Joe Hastings says his brother-in-law is one of them.

“They have a mortgage payment, they have car payments, they have medical bills just like everyone else,” said Hastings about his brother-in-law and his wife. They have two children.

It’s likely he and others laid off won’t be spending much locally. The trickle down effect begins.

“If they’re not there, nobody’s going to come,” says George Kolionis, owner of New English Style Pizza. He is trying to stay positive.

“The consumers in the U.S. are going to be impacted by this, this summer. In the winter, heating oil is going to go up, gasoline, jet fuel,” said Stephano.

Conoco Phillips announced on January 25th earnings of $3.4 billion in the fourth quarter of 2011 compared to $2 billion in the same quarter in 2010. Stephano questions the closing despite the company’s announcement in September that it would close this March if a buyer for the site wasn’t found. Workers knew then layoffs would come now says Stephano. He says they will be paid through March according to the union contract and given one weeks pay per year of service capped at 16 weeks.

With Sunoco closing refineries in Marcus Hook and potentially Philadelphia, US Senator Bob Casey is pressing both companies for more information.

“We’re asking them to do what they should do, be concerned about the region, energy markets, and consumers, not only about some bottom line,” said Casey.

Source: CBC Philly

Mabe to close Quebec factory, layoff 700 by 2014

2012-01-27T07:49:00.001+05:30

Quebec’s ailing employment picture has suffered yet another blow with the announcement by Mexican home appliance maker Controlodora Mabe S.A. de C.V. that it is shutting down a dryer manufacturing factory in Montreal’s east end.

Some 700 workers will lose their jobs as production winds down gradually toward a scheduled close by the end of 2014, Mabe said Thursday. The company blamed the high value of the Canadian dollar and soft consumer demand for the move. It said producing dryers in Quebec is unsustainable given that 90% of the plant’s output is exported to the United States.

Mabe is the manufacturer, distributor and marketer of General Electric appliance brands throughout Canada. It also owns the Moffat brand.

“There is no path to profitability for the plant, not even with significant government subsidies coupled with wage concessions from the union – the gap is simply far too large,” Michael McCrea, vice president of operations for Mabe Canada said in a statement. “The decision to close the plant was deemed necessary and is final.”

The strength of the Canadian dollar against other currencies, and the U.S. dollar in particular, has been a drag for Canadian-based exporters as the cost of making their goods in Canada increases relative to sales. The loonie has risen 25% in value against the greenback in the past two years alone. It is now trading roughly at par with the U.S. dollar.

Canada tallies about half of its export revenue from the sale of raw materials, including crude oil.

Mabe’s announcement comes almost one year after Swedish appliance giant AB Electrolux confirmed it would shut down a manufacturing plant, also in Montreal’s east end, that makes cooking appliances. It said at the time the Montreal plant was “not a viable site.” The work was transferred to Memphis, Tenn., costing 1,300 jobs. In this case, the work will also be shifted to other Mabe plants in Mexico and the United States.
Analysts speculate that the unionization of the workforce of both companies was a factor in the decisions.

They say it’s no accident that manufacturers such as Kia, Boeing Co. and Volkswagen AG have chosen to locate new facilities in southern U.S. states that have right-to-work laws, by which workers can’t be forced to join a union or pay union dues to get a job. Wages are typically lower in states with such laws.

Quebec has lost nearly 70,000 jobs over the past three months, including 8,000 in manufacturing. It’s a bloodletting that has not been seen since the 15-month recession of 1981-1982. The unemployment rate now stands at 8.7%, higher than that of the United States.

Economists are somewhat puzzled over the numbers, questioning whether they are merely a blip or whether Quebec is experiencing trouble that will hit other provinces in the months ahead.

Quebec weathered the 2008 recession better than most other jurisdictions, in part because its government initiated a $41.8-billion, five-year infrastructure spending renewal program that was well underway during the worst of the downturn.

But the province has been losing manufacturing jobs for years. The last time Quebec experienced a creation of manufacturing employment was in 2004. Since then, the number of people employed in the sector has dropped 25%, to 474,000 from 633,000, according to National Bank.

“We’re used to this” kind of job loss in manufacutring, said Marc Pinsonneault, senior economist with the bank. “But it’s the larger number, the 70,000 in three months, that’s not normal.”

Mabe said it took “all reasonable options” to try to make the Montreal plant financially viable and that it has worked closely with employees to try to boost productivity. Almost half of the factory’s staff will remain in their jobs until the facility closes, Gabe said.

One union leader said his members were “in shock” at the closure announcement. But company officials insist they have clearly communicated the plant’s financial difficulties with workers. The plant is currently operating at less than half capacity, the company said, and has generated extensive negative cash flow over the past six years.

Source: Financial Post

PerkinElmer reportedly cuts 75 jobs at Shelton facility

2012-01-25T07:58:00.000+05:30

Global manufacturer PerkinElmer is reportedly issuing pink slips to about 75 workers at its Shelton facility, located at 710 Bridgeport Avenue, after deciding to send most of those positions overseas.

According to a report in the Hartford Courant, the company is sending the jobs to existing manufacturing sites in Singapore and Llantrisant, U.K.

PerkinElmer reportedly had about 500 employees at its Shelton facility.

Company officials told the Courant the layoffs would begin in the second half of 2012 and continue into the early part of 2013.

Source: Shelton Patch

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals to cut 33% of workforce

2012-01-25T07:55:00.004+05:30

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. recently announced a restructuring plan which included the layoff of almost one third of its workforce. Alylam arrived at this difficult decision because it wanted to focus on its pipeline candidates with the maximum potential.

The proposed restructuring is expected to slash cash operating expenses by $20 million in 2012 as against a one-time restructuring cost of $4 million which will be recorded in the first quarter of this year.

Alnylam, which currently has no product on the market, develops novel therapeutics based on a biological breakthrough technology known as RNA (Ribo Nucleic Acid) interference (RNAi). The company wants to focus its resources on its core product strategy, Alnylam 5x15, which is aimed at developing five RNAi therapeutic products for the treatment of genetically defined diseases addressing major unmet medical needs.

The five programs under the strategy include ALN-PCS (for hypercholesterolemia), ALN-TTR (transthyretin (TTR) mediated amyloidosis or ATTR), ALN-HPN (refractory anemia), ALN-APC (hemophilia) and ALN-TMP (hemoglobinopathies). Among these, Alnylam aims to accelerate development of ALN-TTR and ALN-APC which it believes holds the most promise.

Under the ALN-TTR program, Alnylam is currently conducting a phase I study of ALN-TTR01, a systemically delivered RNAi therapeutic that employs a first-generation lipid nanoparticles (LNP) formulation to treat ATTR. ATTR is an orphan disease which is difficult to be addressed by currently available therapeutic approaches. In late November 2011, Alnylam presented encouraging data on ALN-TTR01 which showed that it led to statistically significant reductions in serum TTR protein levels for the treatment of ATTR. Overall, the candidate was well tolerated with no serious adverse events observed in the study. This is the first time an RNAi has silenced a disease-causing gene in clinical trials, thus highlighting the potential of RNAi as a new class of therapeutics.

Alnylam however intends to accelerate development of ALN-TTR02 which is a second generation delivery formulation for the treatment of ATTR. Alnylam has chosen ALN-TTR02 as its go-to market product over ALN-TTR01. Alnylam filed an Investigational New Drug (IND) application for ALN-TTR02 in early January 2012 and expects to initiate a phase I study in the UK in the first half of 2012. Data from the trial is expected in the third quarter of 2012 with phase II studies scheduled to begin in the second half.

Further, ALN-APC is in preclinical development and is expected to move into clinical stages in the first half of 2013.

Source: Zacks

Toyota Australia to layoff 350 workers

2012-01-25T07:54:00.001+05:30

Toyota Motors in Australia said Monday it was laying off 350 workers due to declining sales, the Japanese automaker's top executive in Australia said.

"Toyota Australia is facing severe operating conditions resulting in unsustainable financial returns due to factors including the strong Australian currency, reduced cost competitiveness and volume decline, especially in export markets," Toyota Australia President and Chief Executive Officer Max Yasuda said.

Yasuda said a decline in production the company considered temporary had become permanent, The Australian reported.

"The reality is that our volumes are down. What we assumed was a temporary circumstance has turned into a permanent situation. This drop of 36 percent in just four years shows the scale of our challenges," he said.

Production has dropped from 149,000 vehicles in 2007 to 94,000 in 2011, he said.

This year, Toyota Australia expects to make 95,000 vehicles.

The plant employs 3,350 workers, The Australian said.

Source: UPI

Fashion retailer SuperGroup announces 60 job cuts

2012-01-25T07:53:00.001+05:30

Fast-growing fashion retailer SuperGroup has announced a shock decision to lay off up to 60 staff at its Gloucester distribution centre.

The Cheltenham-based business behind Cult Clothing and Superdy famously begun on a market stall by founder and chief executive officer Julian Dunkerton has entered in consultation with staff over redundancy.

Ironically the grim announcement accompanies the firm’s decision to invest £1.5 million in moving its distribution operation from Barnwood to a Wincanton-owned quarter of a million square foot warehouse on the Gloucester Business Park at Brockworth.

“The new site will require fewer people and it is anticipated that approximately 50 to 60 employees may be at risk of redundancy,” said a statement from the company, which currently employs 186 staff currently in its Barnwood distribution centre.

“SuperGroup is therefore announcing its intension to consult with affected employees about its proposals and this process will commence on Friday January 27, running for 30 days until Monday, February 27.”

While the Cheltenham-headquartered company continues to expand both national and globally even through the recession, issues with its UK distribution arm caused it major headaches in the second half of last year, costing it to the tune of £8.8 million.

Under the proposal being put to staff those affected would in future work out of the new location off Hurrican Road at what is described as a “managed service” site, run by Wincanton under contract to Supergroup. The majority of roles at the new site will remain with Supergroup.

The company said: “At present this does not involve SuperGroup’s other Barnwood-based wholesale or e-Commerce operations.”

Tim Owrid (corr) is head of logistics at Supergroup and the man in charge of reshaping the firm’s distribution operations since September last year. He has previously worked for major retail chains including House of Frazer and Selfridges.

“The site at Barnwood is old and not designed as a distribution centre. Clearly we do not want to detract from the 50 or 60 people facing redundancy, but there is a positive side to this story as well in that we are investing heavily in the new site.

“It is a commitment to our future in the Gloucester area, but we also have an emotional commitment here.”

During the Christmas period just gone the company was sending out 70,000 items a day from its Gloucester base, 20 per cent up on the same period last year. The new building, said Mr Owrid, had the capacity to cope with the company expanding its operations twice over. SuperGroup has signed a two-year lease on the building.

Source: This Is Gloucestershire

Peacocks Group sells Bonmarche stores, 1,400 layoffs planned

2012-01-25T07:51:00.005+05:30

A private equity firm has bought Britain's Bonmarche stores, part of the Peacocks Group which collapsed last week.

The buyers, Sun European Partners, said Monday that they planed to close 160 of Bonmarche's 390 stores and lay off 1,400 of the 3,800 staff.

The sale was arranged in a pre-pack deal before Peacocks was placed in administration. The sale price was not disclosed.

KPMG, the administrator of Peacocks, last week fired 249 of the company's head office staff while keeping 266 to work with administrators while seeking new owners for the remaining operations.

The collapse of Peacocks was the biggest retail failure in Britain since Woolworths Group went under in January 2009.

Source: 1340 WGAU

Standard Register plans to layoff 12-15% of workforce

2012-01-25T07:50:00.001+05:30

Business data management firm Standard Register Co. said it plans to lay off 12% to 15% of its work force as part of a restructuring effort that will create savings of about $45 million a year.

The company suspended its quarterly dividend in keeping with Ohio law, which requires cash dividends be paid only out of a corporation's surplus. The suspension is expected to save the company about $6 million annually, it said. The fiscal first-quarter dividend, which was declared in December, will be paid.

The changes will "assist us in achieving positive cash flow and in making investments in talent, technology and operational infrastructure, as well as sales and marketing optimization, to drive growth," Chief Executive Joseph P. Morgan said.

Standard Register said it has realigned its business to focus on four markets where it has deep industry knowledge and strong relationships: health-care, financial services, commercials markets and industrial. It said the changes were needed to help lower costs amid revenue declines in its legacy operations.

It expects to post a fourth-quarter loss of $9.6 million to $10.1 million on revenue of $160 million to $162 million. Adjusted earnings, which excludes restructuring and other costs, should be $1.3 million to $1.8 million.

Costs associated with the restructuring should be $5.5 million in the fourth quarter and another $1.5 million in the 2012 fiscal year. The company will record a non-cash charge to tax expense of $70 million to $90 million in the fourth quarter and a non-cash actuarial loss of about $80 million later on.

In October, Standard Register said its third-quarter earnings surged to $8.4 million on higher revenue from its core business.

Source: Market Watch

Kruger Inc to layoff 100 workers

2012-01-25T07:47:00.002+05:30

Kruger Inc., the Montreal-based producer of newsprint, glossy and coated papers, lumber, packaging and tissue products, is preparing to lay off almost 100 mill, forest and administrative workers at its Corner Brook Pulp and Paper unit in Newfoundland and Labrador, local reports said Monday.

Government sources confirmed that another cutback at the province’s only surviving newsprint mill is widely expected. The province has recently provided about $20 million to help the mill control its fibre and energy costs and fight the rising Canadian dollar.

Paper prices were generally weak through 2011 as demand continued to slip with the North American economy. Newsprint was listing at $640 a tonne though contract buyers paid less.

Source: Montreal Gazette

Thousands of layoffs in the offing at JC Penney

2012-01-25T07:46:00.001+05:30

Yesterday’s NY Post report stated that JC Penney planned to lay off thousands of workers. The layoffs are targeted at workers who typically retag and re-price merchandise.

The retailer hopes to develop a new “everyday low” price campaign, moving away from frequent price cuts and sales.

CEO Ron Johnson emphasized that the layoffs primarily targeted seasonal workers, and not full-time regular employees. A JC Penney spokeswoman was quoted in the Post as stating, “As planned, we held over some seasonal holiday hires to help us with the re-ticketing of merchandise.”

The report also stated that two of JC Penney’s largest investors, William Ackman and Steve Roth, have pushed Johnson to cut costs throughout the company. The retailer has closed several warehouses, outlets, and call centers, and shuttered its historically popular catalog business. Sources have also indicated that Johnson will announce further cuts this week, with advertising and company divisions first on the chopping block.

The company made a surprise acquisition last month, by taking a 16.6% stake in Martha Stewart Living (NYSE: MSO) and announcing that it would open small MSL kiosks throughout its stores. The acquisition was especially surprising given that Johnson had failed to consult Penney’s home furnishings designer Chris Madden before the announcement.

However, many analysts take to Johnson’s turnaround strategy and believe that his success at developing Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) retail stores could lead to some success with JC Penney. “The stake in Martha Stewart is one of the first cards played in what will be a full hand of moves to change the perception of JC Penney,” said Piper Jaffray analyst Jeff Klinefelter in a previous interview with CNBC.

While JC Penney is a far different kind of company than Apple, Johnson hopes to expand on that company’s philosophy of offering exclusive products at prices than most customers can afford. Johnson is also considering the shift to online sales within the marketplace, and could shutter some retail locations to focus on sales from the company’s website. The company in addition plans on shuffling its product offerings to appeal to a younger consumer.

JC Penney is an interesting trade. The stock has run up nearly 25% since Johnson’s arrival, and analysts believe that the company could have additional upside if Johnson can continue his retail magic. The company has been left for dead by many customers thanks to its outdated stores and boring product offerings.

Source: Forbes

Gilt Groupe cuts 90 jobs

2012-01-25T07:45:00.001+05:30

Gilt Groupe, the high-end online flash sales site has reportedly laid off 10 percent of its approximately 900 employees. The cuts come as no surprise since Gilt openly admitted to the potential for layoffs almost two weeks ago. Initially sources said that those layoffs could affect as many as 170 employees but the total ended up being approximately 80 to 90 people and included some management staff. John Auerbach, head of Park & Bond, Gilt’s full priced men’s clothing site and Nathan Richardson, Gilt City president, will both be leaving the company, though Gilt says that Richardson is leaving of his own accord and not due to a layoff.

The company’s daily deal site, Gilt City, experienced most of the cutbacks. It was suggested by some that this may be a result of the stiff competition within the industry from sites like Groupon and LivingSocial.

The company will be closing its offices in Seattle, Dallas and Atlanta along with those obtained in its recent acquisition of BuyWithMe, including Philadelphia, Houston and San Diego. Gilt will continue to maintain offices in Boston, New York, Washington, D.C., Miami, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

On Friday, an anonymous source told BetaBeat, “People leaving. Sadness. Super uncomfortable work environment. General atmosphere is terrifying.” Gilt said they do not expect any more layoffs at this time.

Last May Gilt Group raised $138 million in series E funding led by Japan’s Softbank Group and Goldman Sachs Group and went on to acquire BuyWithMe in October.

Daily Deal Media’s CEO, Boyan Josic, has reached out to Gilt Groupe for comment and is awaiting a response. We will bring you updates as they become available.

Source: Daily Deal Media

Texas Instruments to close factories in Japan and Houston, 1000 jobs lost

2012-01-25T07:43:00.001+05:30

Texas Instruments Inc. said it will close two of its older semiconductor manufacturing facilities in Hiji, Japan, and Houston, Texas and lay off over 1000 workers over the next 18 months.

On Monday, TI announced its fourth quarter revenue; costs associated the company's acquisition of National Semiconductor; and restructuring charges associated with the closure of the two facilities.

The company disclosed that its fourth quarter profit fell 68 per cent from last year. Commenting on the financial result, Rich Templeton, chairman, president and chief executive officer, TI, said, "Revenue in the fourth quarter was higher than expected across all our major product lines, reinforcing our belief that we're at the bottom of this downturn."

Combined, these factories supported about 4 per cent of TI's revenue in 2011. Closing these factories, Texas Instruments is expected to save about Rs.510.20 crore ($100 million) annually.

However, production from these sites will be moved to other more advanced TI facilities, the company added.

"The total charge for these closures is estimated at about Rs.1,096.94 crore ($215 million), of which Rs.571.43 crore ($112 million) was incurred in the fourth quarter and the remainder will occur over the next seven quarters."

"These sites have made strong, high-quality contributions over the 30-plus years each has operated," said Templeton. "They demonstrate the tremendous cash flow potential associated with analogue products, where factory lives are literally measured in decades. However, we're now at the point where each of these sites requires significant upgrades, and it makes financial sense to shift production to larger, more advanced facilities."

In addition, TI , which closed its acquisition of National Semiconductor on September 23, 2011, announced that the total acquisition-related charges in the fourth quarter are Rs.1,306.12 crore ($256 million).

Templeton stated, "I'm pleased to say that despite the downturn and the lower factory utilisation that came with it, cash flow from operations was strong and well above levels as compared with similar points in prior downturns. Our strategic focus on our core businesses and efficient investment in capacity are key to our strong generation of cash."

"As we move into 2012, we enter the final phase of our planned exit from the base band market, and thus further tighten our focus on analogue, embedded processing and Wireless."

Source: EE Times

Aerospace firm AAI announces 200 layoffs

2012-01-25T07:40:00.004+05:30

AAI, an aerospace and defense development and manufacturing firm, has announced nearly 200 layoffs.

A spokeswoman for the Hunt Valley-based company told 11 News that 184 employees learned Tuesday that they no longer have a job, effective immediately.

11 News reporter Lowell Melser said it's a sign of the economic times, at least when it comes to defense spending. He said employees were keeping to themselves and not offering comment Tuesday.

A company email from the president of Textron, which owns AAI, said the company had to be more cost-efficient given recent project delays and cancellations.

"These changes are a part of ongoing improvements we have been making over the past 18 months. As we become even more cost competitive, we see continued opportunity for AAI to support the U.S. and its allies -- even in light of a declining U.S. Defense budget."

AAI designs and builds unmanned aircraft for the military.

"These changes are a part of ongoing improvements we have been making over the past 18 months," the email said. "As we become even more cost competitive, we see continued opportunity for AAI to support the U.S. and its allies -- even in light of a declining U.S. Defense budget."

County Executive Kevin Kamenetz said he was disappointed by the layoffs. He said he has been in contact with AAI, which he said is providing laid-off employees with unemployment benefits and job search information. He said the county would assist the employees any way it can.

"We (as a country) have shut down our activities in Iraq, and will probably soon in Afghanistan, so it's not a shock to hear that AAI is going to do some downsizing," Kamenetz said. "We know they have begun an outreach center for their employees with a professional staff to help deal with the layoff, and we have offered our professional services as well."

AAI will be laying off a total of 217 company-wide employees at other facilities around the country, a number that includes the 184 at Hunt Valley.

Earlier this month, another defense-related contractor, Northrop Grumman, announced 90 layoffs at its Timonium site.

Source: WBAL TV

Iberdrola Renewables to cut 50 jobs in US

2012-01-25T07:38:00.004+05:30

Officials at Iberdrola Renewables said Tuesday that the company would lay off 50 employees in the U.S., including 25 at its headquarters in Portland.

Citing a weak market driven by low energy prices, a poor economy and regulatory uncertainty, the company said in a statement that it will focus on operations rather than any new renewable energy projects in 2012.

"We're a strong company with a solid balance sheet, positive cash flow and no real debt – we’re here for the long-term," said Jan Johnson, communications director, in a prepared statement. "Energy has historically been a cyclical business and we’re in a down cycle now."

In October, Iberdrola announced it would halt construction of a biomass plant in Lakeview, citing a weak market and no interest among utilities in a power purchase agreement for energy generated at the plant. In December, the company pulled the plug on a wind farm planned in North Carolina.

Iberdrola is being buffeted by the same winds that are causing an uncertain future for wind turbine maker Vestas, which also keeps its North American headquarters in Portland. The expiration of the federal Production Tax Credit, scheduled for the end of the year, will drastically reduce the number of wind energy developments.

Iberdrola is the second-largest wind developer in the U.S. with 11 wind farms in Oregon and two natural gas generation plants near Klamath Falls.

Iberdrola employes about 900 people in the U.S.

Source: Sustainable Business Oregon

Pearson International layoffs to cause delay sin Toronto airport

2012-01-25T07:37:00.004+05:30

With nearly 300 security screeners at Pearson International facing layoffs Wednesday, opponents of the move claim Canada’s busiest airport can expect longer checkpoint lineups and compromised safety standards.

Earlier this month, the Star reported that privately held Garda Security Solutions, which supplies screeners at Pearson, planned “temporary” layoffs of 299 junior employees.

On Tuesday, Denis Ellickson, a lawyer and spokesperson for the Canadian Airport Workers’ Union, which represents Pearson screeners, said 63 will be laid off permanently. A further 236 will be handed reduced hours.

The cuts, which reflect a 20 per cent staff reduction, arrive as passenger traffic continues to swell at Pearson. Traffic increased nearly 11 per cent between October 2009 and October 2011.

“It’s really counterintuitive,” Ellickson said. “The reduction in staff is going to create increased burden on existing staff, who are working to the limit. I don’t think there’s any doubt there’s going to be increased lineups and wait times for the traveling public.”

Both Garda and the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority, the federal agency in charge of airport security, would not discuss whether operations will be affected by the layoffs.

“It is not CATSA’s role to advise or direct the way screening contractors (Garda) manage their workforce,” spokesperson Mathieu Larocque said.

Trinity-Spadina MP Oliva Chow said the layoffs will almost certainly affect airport security. Screeners monitor X-ray scanners and metal detectors and, in Canadian airports, shoulder much of the security responsibility.

“There’s absolutely no excuse to lay off airport screeners,” she said.

But Wesley Wark, a University of Toronto professor and national security expert, said Pearson’s screener surplus — roughly 1,700 were employed before the layoffs — reflects a gross mismanagement of security expenditures and is largely unnecessary. The risk of a terrorist act at a Canadian airport, he said, is “relatively low.”

“A system that makes sure everyone is checked as potential carriers of explosive materials? That is absolutely ridiculous,” he said.

Pearson has not set a contingency plan should the staff decrease result in delays, but spokesperson Patricia Krale expects Wednesday flyers to experience business as usual.

“We’re not anticipating any impact to passengers,” she said. “If there is an impact, we’ll deal with it at the time.”

Ellickson said employees have been advised not to take job action, and no petition or protest is planned.

Source: The Star

Citigroup to layoff 100 employees in India

2012-01-25T07:36:00.004+05:30

Citigroup said on Tuesday it will lay off 100 staff in India as part of a global restructuring exercise.

"Citigroup continuously reviews its internal processes and organisational structure to right size the organisation for efficient growth. Citi India has identified approximately 100 positions that will be impacted," the bank said.

Source: Times of India

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals to layoff 33% of workforce

2012-01-21T10:23:00.000+05:30

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc, an RNAi therapeutics company, intends to implement a strategic corporate restructuring, including an approximate 33 percent reduction in its workforce, as it aligns its resources to focus on what it believes to be the company's highest value opportunities with accelerated clinical development plans. These include a previously announced company focus on its "Alnylam 5x15" RNAi therapeutic product strategy with ALN-TTR for the treatment of transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis (ATTR) and ALN-APC for the treatment of hemophilia as lead programs and advancement of other pipeline programs with existing alliances and new partnerships.

"We have made remarkable progress in advancing RNAi therapeutics as a new class of innovative medicines, including recent results demonstrating human proof of concept in our ALN-TTR program and clinical efficacy for RNAi therapeutics in our ALN-PCS program. As we effect our ongoing transformation from a platform company to a product company, now is the time to focus our near-term efforts and resources on what we believe to be our highest value opportunities; specifically, accelerated clinical development plans for our programs in transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis and hemophilia, while advancing other pipeline programs through existing alliances and new partnerships that we aim to form in the future.

As a result of this increased focus, we are making a business decision to implement an organizational restructuring that will include an approximate 33% reduction in our workforce," said John Maraganore, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Alnylam. "At a personal level, this was a very difficult decision to make, but we are convinced that it is an important step in continuing to build our company for the long term. As we implement this change, we are grateful to all our employees for their dedication, passion, and commitment in advancing RNAi therapeutics to patients."

Alnylam expects the reduction in personnel costs, along with other external costs, to result in a savings of approximately $20 million in 2012 cash operating expenses. Alnylam estimates that it will incur one-time restructuring costs of approximately $4 million including employee severance, benefits, and related costs, which it expects to incur in the first quarter of 2012. The company recently increased its year-end 2011 cash guidance to approximately $260 million, and will provide financial guidance for 2012 in connection with its 2011 financial results announcement in February.

Source: Boston Citybiz List

Toledo health care provider Mercy cuts 55 jobs

2012-01-21T10:21:00.004+05:30

A confluence of economic problems is forcing a Toledo health care provider to lay off 55 employees, some of which will be cut as early as this week, the Toledo Blade reports.

Mercy is cutting mostly management and back-office positions, the newspaper reports, as it contends with lowered reimbursement rates and more uninsured patients. Laid-off workers will receive severance packages, the newspaper reports.

The northwest Ohio hospital chain laid off 71 workers in 2009 as it dealt with an increasing need for free patient care, the newspaper reports.

Source: Biz Journals

North Dakota State University to layoff 14 employees

2012-01-21T10:20:00.001+05:30

A loss in federal funding has forced North Dakota State University to lay off 14 employees of the Center for Nanoscale Science and Engineering.

Vice president Phil Boudjouk tells The Forum that those affected are being notified Thursday that their jobs are being eliminated.

Boudjouk says the departure dates for the employees varies from two weeks to three months, depending on their jobs and transition of projects.

More than 40 researchers will continue working for the center.

He says the staff reduction was necessary due to a loss of congressional earmark funding for research.

NDSU has been awarded about $20 million to $30 million in annual earmarks in recent years. The center is working to replace those federal dollars with private funding.

Source: Crookston Times

Avery Dennison Corp to shut down Greensboro, 59 jobs lost

2012-01-21T10:19:00.000+05:30

Avery Dennison Corp. is planning to permanently shut down its Greensboro manufacturing facility and lay off 59 employees beginning in March.

The company, based in Pasadena, Calif., filed a notice with the N.C. Department of Commerce as part of a requirement by the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act.
Avery Dennison’s letter to the state said the company expects to permanently eliminate job positions ranging from customer service representatives and machine operators to material handlers and managers.

The company said it will close its facility located at 2100 Summit Ave. and relocate remaining operations to 2025 16th St. in Greensboro.

Company officials could not be immediately be reached about the reasoning behind the closure or what the company’s plans are for the location on 16th Street.

Avery Dennison makes a variety of products including pressure-sensitive labeling materials, graphics imaging media and retail apparel ticketing and branding systems.

Source: Biz Journals

Air Canada layoffs 51 in Winnipeg

2012-01-20T08:06:00.001+05:30

Fifty-one Air Canada employees in Winnipeg are losing their jobs over the next month as part of the lingering after-effects of the airline's 2007 decision to spin off its technical services division.

Six of the layoffs will take effect Friday and the other 45 on Feb. 19, Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick said Wednesday. The affected employees include sheet-metal workers, electricians and aircraft mechanics.

The employees work at the former Air Canada Technical Services division's St. James aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul facility, which now operates under the name Aveos Fleet Performance Inc.

Air Canada converted the division into a stand-alone operation in 2007. Most of those workers are former Air Canada employees who decided to transfer to Aveos.

Fitzpatrick said the workers who didn't make the jump had been given until last July to decide whether to leave Air Canada, retire, or remain with the airline in hopes of landing a job elsewhere within its Canadian operations by bumping a less senior employee. The International Machinists and Aerospace Workers union challenged the company's moves in court, but lost the case last year.

The remaining Air Canada workers opted to stay with the company, but had remained on loan to Aveos since July because there was still enough work at the Winnipeg plant to keep them busy.

But an Aveos spokeswoman said Wednesday that's no longer the case. She said the facility will have a staff of about 309 after the 51 leave.

Fitzpatrick said Air Canada has no place for the last 51 workers within its remaining aircraft maintenance operations, which is why they're being laid off.

He said they can go onto the company's employee-recall list, but there's no way of knowing if they'll ever be recalled.

Or they can apply for a different type of job within Air Canada.

One of the workers, who asked not to be identified, said in an interview he didn't take a job with Aveos last summer because he's just a few years away from retiring. If he had taken early retirement from Air Canada to join Aveos, he would have taken a big hit on his pension.

He said it made more sense for him to stay in hopes he could find another job within Air Canada's operations.

Now he hopes he can use his seniority to land a different type of job elsewhere within the airline's Winnipeg operations, possibly as a baggage handler.

The worker said he also didn't want to take a job with Aveos because its aircraft maintenance contract with Air Canada expires next year.

The Winnipeg facility performs maintenance and repair work on Air Canada's fleet of narrow-bodied Airbus plane, and that's all it does.

Source: Winnipeg Free Press

Bank of America plans for more layoffs this year

2012-01-20T08:04:00.004+05:30

Bank of America plans to continue cutting jobs after reporting in its year-end earnings statement that employment fell by 5,874 in the fourth quarter and 3,836 over the year in 2011.

The bank didn't say how many more jobs would go. Employment reductions are part of its plan to achieve $5 billion in savings by the end of 2014, under an initiative dubbed "Project New BAC." The firm is currently engaged in Phase 1 of the cost-reduction initiative, which began at the end of 2011.

Implementation of Phase 2 of New BAC is expected to begin this spring, focused on cost reductions in commercial banking, global wealth and investment management, global corporate banking, global markets and support areas. As it executes Phase 2, the firm expects to have a lower headcount base than seen through the implementation of Phase 1. The bank's total staff numbered 284,635 at the end of the fourth quarter and year.

Despite the overall reductions, the firm added staff in select areas. The bank added 1,700 financial advisers over the year, and also bolstered its ranks of small business bankers. In the fourth quarter, the firm added 214 financial advisers, bringing the total number of FAs to 17,300. Bruce Thompson, the firm's chief financial officer, noted that the hiring of FAs will likely slow through the coming year.

"Looking forward, we would expect muted adviser growth in 2012, based on economic conditions," Thompson said.

Bank of America will also continue closing retail branches. It ended the year with 5,702 branches, a reduction of 13 branches from the end of the third quarter, and a total of 154 for the fiscal year.

The bank posted an annual profit of $1.99 billion, or $0.15 per share, compared to a loss of $1.24 billion, or $0.16 a share, in 2010. Analysts anticipated a $0.15 per-share profit. The bank's revenue exceeded analyst expectations, rising by 11% to $24.89 billion.

Source: Fins

KFC layoffs at corporate offices and restaurants

2012-01-20T08:02:00.004+05:30

KFC says it has made layoffs both at its corporate offices and at restaurants. The company cites the need to reduce costs and become more efficient.

A statement from KFC Senior Director of Public Relations Karen Sherman says the company wants to improve business with new products that are marketed well.

"We are doing everything possible to help support those affected by the reorganization in their transition," Sherman said in a news release.

The company is not revealing how many people have been laid off or exactly what positions they hold.

KFC's parent company, Louisville-based Yum Brands, has concentrated on expanding KFC's business along with its other restaurant chains, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell. Yum sold Long John Silvers and A&W last month to concentrate on those other brands.

Increasingly, much of Yum's expansion takes place overseas, and KFC has aimed itself at the Chinese market. The Bloomberg financial news service reported Thursday that the company has seen success with breakfast food as well as with a delivery service and keeping its restaurants open 24 hours.

Source: WDRB

Luxury item site Lot18 cuts 15% of staff

2012-01-20T08:01:00.002+05:30

Lot18, the membership-based luxury item site that raised a whopping $45 million over the last year, just laid off 14 people, or 15 percent of the staff.

“A lot of this is a natural part of the way a business grows and evolves,” Lot18 founder Philip James told Betabeat. “Some positions aren’t needed. At the same time, we’re hiring heavily in areas that do make sense for us. This puts us back to October’s level, so just a couple months ago.”

The company was planning to slash a significant part of its workforce tomorrow morning, followed by a company-wide meeting. After Betabeat began inquiring, the company confirmed the layoffs and pushed them up to this afternoon.

Lot18 specializes in wine and gourmet food, as well as cultural activities and amusements, similar to Gilt Taste. The site was growing explosively, most recently with its $30 million series C in November, with backing from big names like Accel Partners, FirstMark Capital and the founders of Diapers.com. Lot18 also recently acquired Paris based-Vinobest and made some high-profile hires, including venture vet Mark Pinney as CFO and Gilt VP of marketing Andrew Koch as VP of product.

Source: Beta Beat

RR Donnelley & Sons to close Windsor location, 117 jobs lost

2012-01-20T08:00:00.000+05:30

RR Donnelley & Sons is closing its Windsor (CT) location in March, putting 117 people out of work. The company is required by law to let the state Department of Labor know about its plans two months ahead of the layoffs, and it did so on Monday.

In Windsor, 69 production employees, 12 managers and 36 administrative employees, from accountants to database coordinators to operations clerks, will lose their jobs when the printing plant closes.

Jim Burke, economic development director for the town of Windsor, said the building once housed Aetna’s in-house printing division. At that time, there were 400 employees.

Source: PI World

Mayville Products Corp to close Mayville factory, 130 jobs lost

2012-01-20T07:57:00.001+05:30

Mayville Products Corp. plans to close its factory in Mayville in Dodge County, leaving 130 workers without jobs.

The layoffs are expected to occur between March 19 and March 30, according to a plant closing notice filed Thursday with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.

The sheet metal fabricating plant, 403 Degner Ave., is expected to permanently close on March 30.

“We are very sorry that business conditions have forced us to take this action,” the notice states.

The Department of Workforce Development will work with the Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin to outplacement services to affected employees.

Source: Biz Journals

Carson-Newman College eliminates academic programs, jobs

2012-01-20T07:55:00.004+05:30

Carson-Newman College has eliminated three academic programs, top cabinet positions and other jobs as part of restructuring at the college, according to an email administrators sent to members of the campus community last week.

The athletic training, computer information systems and French programs will be discontinued at the Jefferson City college, and deans and program coordinators "are working to ensure that students invested in their majors have a graduation plan," according to the notice sent to faculty and staff by President Randall O'Brien.

School officials would not comment on "ongoing personnel matters," said Parker Leake, senior director for marketing and communications for the Baptist college.

Faculty in the athletic training program either declined to comment or did not return calls seeking comment. The other programs already have been removed from the school's website.

The school has also eliminated top administrative positions, including executive vice president, vice president of church relations, associate vice president for finance and vice president for marketing and communication. It's unclear how many of those positions were vacant, though former Executive Vice President Dan Hollingsworth left last year to become president of Piedmont College in Georgia. The school has also eliminated two positions in the Office of Advancement and one position in alumni affairs.

A professor still under contract at the school, who did not want to be named for fear of retaliation, said most faculty were caught off guard by the layoffs and eliminated programs. At least six faculty members and an unknown number of staff members lost their jobs, he said. The News Sentinel reached a professor earlier this week who had been laid off but declined to comment.

O'Brien told reporters in early December he had no plans for layoffs. The comments came within days of receiving word that Carson-Newman's full accreditation had been reinstated following a yearlong warning for a low profit margin.

The school, which has a $35-million budget, has been battling financial troubles in recent years, including landing on a federal list of schools that failed a financial responsibility test, though the school contends it received a letter from the Department of Education clearing its finances.

Source: Knox News

Rheem layoffs 60 employees in Fort Smith

2012-01-20T07:54:00.004+05:30

A spokesperson for Rheem in Fort Smith said 60 hourly employees will be laid off tomorrow, Jan. 20th.

John Anthony said the layoffs are part of normal seasonal adjustments.

Currently the plant employees 1,195 people. Some 906 are hourly and 289 are salaried.

Rheem in Fort Smith builds residential and commercial HVAC products.

The layoffs are seasonal and the company hopes to recall all employees in the future.

Source: 4029 TV

Motricity to cut 135 jobs in Asia

2012-01-20T07:53:00.002+05:30

Motricity stock closed up 5.5 percent today after the company said it's withdrawing from Asia, a move that will cut 135 jobs in India, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia by April.

The Bellevue-based mobile marketing services company has been reorganizing for months and finalized the Asia decision after losing a major customer, Kuala Lumpur-based carrier Axiata, on Jan. 5. Motricity expects the shift will cost around $2.5 million, including severance costs of $1.5 million.

Overall the company now employs between 320 and 350, down from 522 at the end of June.

It's a sharp reversal. In 2010 Motricity was aggressively expanding overseas, making deals that pushed its stock above $15. Today the stock settled at 87 cents, after rising to more $1 during the day's trading.

Interim Chief Executive Jim Smith said in a statement that the company's "had to make some difficult choices, including streamlining and exiting areas of our business that were no longer strategic or profitable. I believe the strategy that we've since adopted now aligns with the strong market opportunity that exists in mobile enterprise and advertising."

Motricity continues to have offices Europe but they're being evaluated as the company turns its focus to North America, where its operations are more profitable.

Smith explained that in North America, the company runs a broader set of businesses, serving large enterprises in addition to wireless carriers. Those businesses share capabilities, enabling it to deliver services at a lower cost, he said.

A more streamlined company could be a more attractive acquisition target but the company's trying to grow and not pursue a merger or acquisition, Smith said.

"Anything's possible with M&A but it's certainly not something we're focused on," he said. "We've got to go build the business."

Motricity's also trying to raise more capital, which could lead to more hiring in Bellevue. Smith said the company will provide an updated outlook when it reports 2011 earnings; the report hasn't been scheduled but will happen before March 15.

Source: Seattle Times

Yahoo freezes hiring, layoffs planned

2012-01-20T07:52:00.003+05:30

Yahoo has frozen its hiring process and may even consider layoffs according to a new report. The news was revealed by AllThingsD on Thursday, which wrote that the choices were made ahead of expected weak fourth quarter earnings.

Yahoo isn’t considering mass layoffs, however; instead, AllThingsD said they are likely to be “small and selective” if they happen at all. Yahoo experienced a bit of turmoil earlier this week when co-founder, former CEO and board member Jerry Yang resigned from the company. AllThingsD said other board members may be considering leaving the company, too.

Source: BGR

Japanese pharma company Takeda Pharmaceutical to cut 2,800 jobs in US and Europe

2012-01-19T07:33:00.000+05:30

Brace yourselves for another round of pharma layoffs. This time, it's Takeda Pharmaceutical wielding the ax, and the Japanese company is targeting 2,800 job cuts, mostly in Europe, by 2016. The aim: saving $2.6 billion.

The European cutbacks stem directly from last year's €9.6 billion buyout of the Swiss drugmaker Nycomed. That deal left Nycomed's U.S. business intact and independent. But that doesn't mean the U.S. will go unscathed in Takeda's layoff blitz; about 700 positions are targeted in the U.S.

Nor will the cuts leave many operations untouched. The company says it will be laying off workers across the board, in research, administration, operations and commercial functions. Some European subsidiaries may be sold off as Takeda works to integrate Nycomed, and other cuts will be focused on redundant functions. R&D sites will be consolidated.

"The combination of Takeda and Nycomed brought together Takeda's strong presence in the Japanese and U.S. markets with the legacy Nycomed business infrastructure in Europe and high-growth emerging markets," Takeda CEO Yasuchika Hasegawa said in a statement. "There are a number of areas where we will need to make changes to ensure efficient and flexible operations moving forward."

Takeda's announcement comes a week after Novartis ($NVS) said it would cut another 2,000 or so jobs in the U.S., on top of 2,000 positions in Europe and the U.S. that the company previously said it would eliminate. Will the job cuts continue as 2012 advances? As drugmakers continue to integrate recent buyouts—think Sanofi ($SNY) and Genzyme—and lose sales to newly off-patent drugs, our bet is yes.

Source: Fierce Pharma

500 layoffs planned at Anniston Army Depot

2012-01-19T07:31:00.002+05:30

More than 500 people learned today their jobs could end this spring and summer as the as the Anniston Army Depot’s commander, Col. Timothy Sullivan, announced impending layoffs to employees first thing this morning on closed-circuit television.

“The work load is what the work load is,” Sullivan said on the broadcast. “It comes down to numbers, and the numbers are just not good for 2013.”

A release from the depot’s public affairs office later Wednesday said the base’s temporary and “term” workers are the ones facing potential unemployment. Temporary workers are hired for short-term periods based on the Army’s needs, usually for a year or less, according to Clester Burdell, an Army public affairs officer. Term workers are hired for between one and four years. Those contracts are renewable if there’s a need for the workers, Burdell said. She said there are slightly more than 500 term and temporary workers at the depot now.

Shrene Funderburg, acting president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 1945, said she’d been told that 568 workers’ jobs are at stake. Funderburg said she was informed about the layoffs Tuesday afternoon in a meeting with Sullivan. Another 300 may lose their jobs by January 2013, she added.

The layoffs would begin after March 30, Burdell said, as each worker’s contract expires, continuing to the end of the current fiscal year on Sept. 30.

About 4,000 people work at the depot in permanent positions under a variety of commands, Burdell said. That includes workers who last September finished moving and destroying the Army’s stockpile of Cold War-era chemical weapons stored at the depot. That work force once totaled around 1,000, jobs that all will be gone when the Anniston Chemical Disposal Facility is dismantled.

For the temporary and term workers, what’s costing them their jobs is a transition to peacetime, Sullivan said on the morning broadcast. He declined to be interviewed later.

The problem was evident on a tour of one of the newer facilities at the depot Wednesday morning.

James McKinney is chief of the depot’s reciprocating power train division, which rebuilds engines for vehicles such as the Army personnel carrier used in Afghanistan. The division is operating at about 10 percent capacity, McKinney said. The 142,000-square-foot facility, which opened in July 2009, has the capacity to rebuild 1,865 engines in a year. For 2012, it received enough money to rebuild 40, McKinney said.

Row upon row of shelves installed to hold engine parts rose empty or nearly empty toward the warehouse ceiling. Unused machines lay silent among others that were running. It’s an inefficient use of a state-of-the-art building that cost taxpayers $85 million just a few years ago, said Ray VanSchoubroek, a consultant for the union and a retired crane operator for the depot.

Less work hinders the facility’s efficiency, McKinney confirmed.

“If we were at full capacity, it would start bringing costs down,” he said. “They have a process they have to go through, whether you put one part in or you put 30 parts in.”

Nathan Hill, military liaison for the Calhoun Chamber of Commerce, said the depot has been dealt double blows because of a decrease in work and a decrease in funding for man-hours.

The Anniston depot specializes in maintaining equipment such as tanks, self-propelled howitzers, mobile bridges, small arms and tank-recovery systems, Hill said.

“There has been a lot of work in those areas over the past 10 years,” he said. “But now, as we’ve moved out of Iraq, a lot of those systems or most of those systems aren’t being used in Afghanistan.”

VanSchoubroek said the depot has a core number of man-hours it needs to complete the work it has to do each year and to maintain the skill level it needs to stay in operation. Union officials estimate it needs 3.2 million man-hours to do that work. In 2013, though, the depot is in line to receive funding for 2.1 million man-hours, the officials said.

Hill acknowledged the wide gulf between what the depot says it needs and what it is slated to receive, but noted that the allotted hours change almost on a daily basis. He said the decrease in workload at the depot has probably affected the funding it is slated to receive in 2013.

VanSchoubroek said the union had expected a drawdown as the nation’s armed forces disengage from Iraq and Afghanistan, but it had not expected such deep cuts.

Funderburg, the union president, said the union had hoped 450 employees from the chemical weapons disposal plant and stockpiling area would be added to the depot’s payroll. Since 2010, the depot has cut 632 positions through early retirements and other incentives — the right way, Funderburg said.

Now, instead of preventing layoffs, the depot will be adding to them.

The problem is lack of funding, Funderburg said.

“We don’t have the work here at Anniston to maintain them,” she said. “They’re canceling programs that they had originally said we’d be doing.”

That’s not true of other depots across the country, she said. The Red River Depot in Texas has asked 300 Anniston employees to volunteer to work there. So far, about 60 employees have taken the Texas depot up on its offer.

Hill also noted the discrepancy between depots, but said it is driven by the requirements of the military. The Red River Depot maintains tactical-wheeled vehicles such as Humvees, which are currently being used in Afghanistan more than the heavy equipment of Anniston’s specialties, and therefore require more maintenance.

“It doesn’t appear fair from a union standpoint or from my standpoint,” Hill said. “But it’s just a matter of fact that it’s related to the commodities that those depots have been designated to repair.”

Anniston Mayor Gene Robinson said Wednesday afternoon he had only just heard of the layoffs, but he noted it’s a cycle that has repeated itself each time the country has entered and exited a war.

“When there’s a war, there’s ramping up; there’s big hires and lots of activity,” he said. “Then when the wars are over, there’s a ramping down.”

Robinson wasn’t sure how the city would respond to the impending layoffs, but like the April 27 tornadoes, it will require community support to pull through this, he said.

Source: The Anniston Star

Jay-Z’s New York City Rocawear office undergoes 28 layoffs

2012-01-19T07:30:00.000+05:30

Everything is not sunny in the land of Jay-Z, as the rapper forced to lay off 28 Rocawear employees in these tough economic times.

Rocawear is a brand that had become synonymous with hip hop and rap culture over the years, and it looks like the brand may be facing some tough times. The clothing line has recently had to lay off 28 employees from the New York City Rocawear offices earlier this month on January 6th, 2012.

The listed reasoning for the layoffs was none other than “economic” problems. This comes as no surprise seeing the state of the current economy along with the fact that Rocawear has been on a slow decline over the years as hip hop fashion evolves and becomes more diversified.

If you recall, Jay-Z sold the Rocawear clothing line for a staggering $204 million back in 2007, but did keep interest in the company. Towards the end of 2011, Jay-Z rustled quite a few feathers when he released his controversial ‘Occupy All Streets‘ t-shirts to support the Occupy Wall Street Movement. The t-shirts were created for support, but Jay-Z was heavily criticized for attempting to capitalize on the situation.

Source: This Beat Goes

Scandinavian airline group SAS AB cuts 300 jobs

2012-01-19T07:28:00.004+05:30

Scandinavian airline group SAS AB says it will lay off 300 administrative workers as part of its efforts to reduce costs.

SAS CEO Rickard Gustafson said Wednesday the plans to cut costs by 3 to 5% are critical for the company to strengthen its competitive position.

The company said the staff layoffs and other measures will help it cut costs by around 2 billion kronor ($288 million) in 2012.

It said the implementation of the cost-cutting program has become even more crucial this year, "due to increased economic uncertainty, increased pressure on yields in the airline industry and continued high fuel prices."

Source: USA Today

ITT Exelis layoffs 76 employees

2012-01-19T07:27:00.004+05:30

A manufacturing company in West Springfield laid off 76 employees on Wednesday.

ITT Exelis spokesperson Irene Lockwood told 22News the company was forced to lay off the workers because of cuts in defense spending. Lockwood told 22News some of the layoffs were voluntary, but others were involuntary.

As of December, the company had 370 people working at its West Springfield location.

ITT Exelis manufactures night vision goggles and other products used by the U.S. Department of Defense.

Source: WWLP

BMO Harris Bank to cut 350 jobs

2012-01-19T07:25:00.004+05:30

BMO Harris Bank announced today it is eliminating 350 jobs over the next three months, including about 157 in the greater Milwaukee area.

In total, about 200 Wisconsin employees of the company will lose their jobs.

Most of the jobs to be eliminated are administrative and back-office positions. The company is contracting with outside vendors to perform many of those functions and hopes that some of the affected employees will find jobs with the vendors, according to Jim Kappel, vice president of BMO Harris Bank.

Kappel said the total layoffs account for about 2 percent of the company’s 16,000 employees in the United States.

BMO Harris currently has about 365 open positions, including about 95 in Wisconsin, and hopes that some of the affected employees also can be considered for those jobs.

“This is not a decision we take lightly. We understand these changes will result in the loss of positions; however, we are doing our best to support employees in impacted positions. For some people, they are being offered positions by our vendors; for others, they can apply for our open positions,” Kappel said. “All employees whose positions are affected are also eligible for a severance plan and an outplacement program that includes help with developing resumes, interviewing skills, career counseling and access to job search resources.”

BMO Harris acquired Milwaukee-based Marshall & Ilsley Corp., the parent company of M&I Bank, last July.

Since the completion of the merger, BMO Harris has hired close to 120 people in the greater Milwaukee area, mostly in the roles hired of personal bankers, customer service representatives and credit analysts, Kappel said

Source: Biz Times

Oakland layoffs 2,500 workers

2012-01-19T07:23:00.004+05:30

Oakland officials are sending layoff notices to nearly 2,500 employees as the city moves to cut costs to try to make up for the loss of redevelopment money.

The city announced Wednesday that with the state cutting redevelopment funds across California, it won't have the money to pay the salaries of 1,464 full-time and more than 1,000 part-time or temporary employees.

City spokeswoman Karen Boyd says because the city is required to give a 10-day notice if a job is eliminated by the Jan. 31, not every employee who receives a layoff notice will be out a job.

Police and fire staff are exempt from layoffs due to a clause in their contracts.

The city says the loss of the redevelopment funds creates a potential annual budget gap ranging from $25 to $30 million, although the exact size of the deficit has not yet been fully determined.

Source: Mercury News

Kraft Foods to layoff 1,600 workers in North America

2012-01-18T07:57:00.001+05:30

Kraft Foods said Tuesday it would lay off 1,600 workers in North America in 2012 to position the company for splitting up its grocery and snack operations.

The layoffs are scheduled "to help ensure its North America-based snacks and grocery businesses are well-positioned to become two independent public companies before the end of 2012," the company said in a statement.

"When we announced our decision to create two world-class companies in late August, we said both would be leaner, more competitive organizations," Kraft Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Irene Rosenfeld said in a statement.

"We're confident that this transformational work will improve effectiveness and fuel future growth of both companies," she said.

As part of the new strategy, after the spin off, Kraft said it would eliminate two and keep two of its four U.S. management centers.

The firm's Beverages business unit will move from Tarrytown, N.Y. and the Planters brand will move from East Hanover, N.J., the firm said. Both are headed to the metropolitan Chicago area by the end of the year.

Most employees affected by the move will be offered a chance to relocate and stay with the company, the statement said.

In addition, Kraft said it would close its Glenview, Ill., management center by the end of the year.

Source: UPI

Steelwork specialist Billington to layoff 30 staff

2012-01-18T07:56:00.002+05:30

Constructional steelwork specialist Billington is cutting 30 production jobs due to falling workloads.

The Barnsley steelwork firm is moving from double to single shift working at its factories at Wombwell and Yate in Bristol.

Steve Fareham, managing director of Billington, told the Enquirer: “The general problems of the steelwork sector are well known. Supply and demand are still out of kilter in the industry.

“We’re basically reverting to the shift pattern of four years ago. We still retain the capacity to meet our clients’ needs but we must adjust working patterns to suit orders levels.”

He added: “We are seeing more opportunities ahead but they are taking longer to come to fruition, so we haven’t been able to fully occupy our factories.”

The new shift patterns came into force yesterday at the two main works. Last October around 11 mainly office staff were laid off at its Bristol site.

At the end of last year Billington formed a joint venture with southern steelwork specialist Bourne Steel to chase £10m-plus office and shopping centre jobs in London and other big cities.

The partners behind the new company BS2 have just completed a small tester job and are hopeful of landing further work despite signs of a slowdown in new commercial work.

Source: Construction Enquirer

French company Fnac cuts 510 jobs

2012-01-18T07:55:00.001+05:30

Fnac, the leading French cultural products chain, will lay off 510 of its 17,000 staff and may pull out of Italy as part of a cost-cutting plan to save €80m a year against a backdrop of shrinking sales.

"The worsening of the economic crisis in the last six months has led to a sharp fall in household consumption, which is affecting Fnac's markets in all the countries where it operates," the chain said in a release on Friday (13th January).

In 2011, the group's sales declined 3.2% overall and 5.4% in its stores following a slump in demand for electronic and other technical products in the last nine months.

Of the job cuts, 310 will be in France and will involve head office and instore support staff. Sales and fnac.com, which are at the centre of the chain's strategic development, will not be affected. The other 200 layoffs across the seven other countries will be through non-replacement of staff leaving. The countries are Belgium, Brazil, Italy, Morocco, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland.

A decision will be taken during the year on whether to withdraw from Italy, where Fnac has "not achieved a critical mass" though its 17 stores, c.e.o. Alexandre Bompard told the French daily le Figaro.

The group will start managing the four stores in Switzerland from France at the end of 2012, will renegotiate rents in its 158 outlets and will revise all technical services to help "drastically reduce" operating expenses.

But the cutbacks will have no impact on the five-year plan Fnac 2015, which was unveiled last July and includes opening 30 new outlets in France, mainly on town outskirts and countries where it is already present.

Several projects have already been initiated, and about 10 openings are planned for this year, including in eastern Paris, railway stations, airports and selected neighbourhoods, the group said. It will also launch new concepts for children and families and internet access in stores.

Fnac parent company PPR has wanted to sell the chain for some time, but has not yet found a buyer.

Source: The Book Seller

Wood-Mode to layoff 90 workers

2012-01-18T07:53:00.002+05:30

Wood-Mode will lay off 90 of its 1,100-person workforce "over the next four weeks to accommodate the overall reduction in its cabinet sales volume, " said Tom Morgensen, the company's vice president of human resources.

"It's unfortunate," Morgensen said late Monday afternoon after the announcement. "It's sad, and we regret having to take the action, but it's a business decision."

The layoffs are due to the extended length of the recession in the housing industry and its effect on an already fragile cabinet and remodeling market, he said.

Company executives remain optimistic that orders will gradually increase when the economics of the housing industry and its customer base improve in 2012, Morgensen added.

"We certainly hope that some employees will be reinstated if things pick up," he said.

State Rep. Fred Keller, R-85 of Kreamer, said: "My heart goes out to the people who will be laid off. You know, I have friends and some family who work at Wood-Mode."

Keller said that when he was a manager at Conestoga Wood Specialties in Beavertown, "I had to look people in the eye and say that I had to lay them off, even though they were doing a good job. It had nothing to do with their job performance. And it was hard."

Keller said there is no easy answer to reversing the economic trends in the housing industry. "I'm thinking that prevailing wage reform will help," he said. "Taxing people less so that they have more money on hand to spend as they see fit. We need to be more responsive in that way at the state level."

Wood-Mode has shed about 50 percent of its workforce during the economic downturn. The company -- the largest employer in Snyder County -- employed almost 2,000 workers in 2007.

Wood-Mode manufactures custom kitchen cabinets and counter tops with hardware, laminates and moldings.

Source: Daily Item

British Army layoffs 400 Gurkhas

2012-01-18T07:51:00.001+05:30

The British Army on Tuesday announced to lay off around 400 Gurkha soldiers from the Brigade of Gurkhas. The British Army will offer a comprehensive program for resettlement into civilian life to all the laid-off Gurkha soldiers, according to a press statement issued by the British Embassy in Kathmandu.

The statement further said the British Army will help all the laid-off Gurkha soldiers to find jobs in future. All the Gurkha soldiers chosen for lay-off will be given one year´s notice, reads the statement.

The downsizing of the Brigade of Gurkhas is part of restructuring of the British Army, said the statement. In 2010, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of the UK had announced the Strategic Defence and Security Review to downsize the whole British Army.

Last year, around 140 Gurkhas were laid off from the 3,500-strong Brigade of Gurkhas. The MoD of the UK is reportedly planning to downsize the strength of the Brigade of Gurkhas to less than 3,000 personnel.

This year, the MoD has reportedly decided to discharge a total of 2,900 members of the British Army including 400 Gurkha soldiers.

Around 1,000 members of the Royal Air Force (RAF) and 300 members of the Royal Navy are among the 2,900 British soldiers to be discharged by the MoD this year, according to British news agencies.

Ex-British Gurkha soldiers have questioned the rationale of such a big cut in the Brigade of Gurkhas. They said they are ´saddened´ with the new announcement of the British Army.

What we do not understand is why we have lost around 140 men in the first tranche and now we are losing another 400 men when we have just 3,500. But the infantry, which has tens of thousands of personnel, are losing only 500 personnel, Major Tikendra Dal Dewan, chairman of the British Welfare Society, told the Daily Mail, a British newspaper.

The Gurkha soldiers have loyally and bravely fought for the British all over the world. They have served in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Borneo, Cyprus, the Falklands, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan in the last 50 years.

The British Army started recruiting Gurkha soldiers following a peace deal with Nepal in 1815. Altogether, 13 Gurkha soldiers have won Victoria Crosses (VCs) for their bravery so far.

Source: My Republica

UK's Premier Foods announces 600 job cuts

2012-01-18T07:50:00.002+05:30

A major UK food supplier has announced it is to lay off around 600 workers as it prepares to face a tough 2012.

Publishing its growth plan for the coming year, Premier Foods said it would be doubling its savings projections, attempting to cut £40 million of spend by 2013 by creating a "stronger and more efficient business".

A spokesman for the company said: "To achieve this target, every aspect of the company’s costs is being reviewed and it is expected that a series of cost saving programmes will be initiated throughout the year that will result in reductions in the workforce, mainly from overhead functions."

Meanwhile, the company also said that its new leadership team was to focus investment behind growing the eight "power brands" owned by the supplier, including Hovis, Ambrosia, Mr. Kipling, Sharwood’s, Loyd Grossman, Bisto, Oxo and Batchelors.

The Group said it was planning to double marketing spend behind the brands in 2012 and six of the Power Brands will be back on TV with advertising in the first quarter.

Commenting on the plan, Chief Executive Officer Michael Clarke said: “We continue to deliver on our plans to stabilise the business and invest in our recovery and future growth.

While decisions to reduce the workforce are always difficult, I’m convinced we are taking the right steps in the long term interests of the business, employees and our stakeholders.”

Source: 4rfv

Sperry Marine cuts 50 jobs in Charlottesville

2012-01-18T07:49:00.002+05:30

According to a Sperry Marine spokesperson, about 50 people will lose their jobs in Charlottesville.

The spokesman said, Sperry needed to eliminate 800 positions, and announced the layoffs back in October.

More than 300 employees chose to participate in a voluntary reduction program. About 400 layoffs are being announced company-wide Tuesday. That includes the 50 at Sperry's Maritime Systems Business Unit in Charlottesville that will find out Tuesday.

Thirty people lost jobs there last month. These employees will work through January 31, and receive separation benefits and out- placement assistance.

Source: NBC29

Macy's to close Texas city store, 97 jobs cut

2012-01-18T07:48:00.001+05:30

Macy’s Inc. is laying off 97 employees as it closes its Texas City location.

The Cincinnati-based retailer is closing the store as part of the company’s process to prune underperforming stores.

The layoffs will occur between March 9 and March 22, according to documents from the Texas Workforce Commission.

The 151,000-square-foot store, located in the Mall of the Mainland, is expected to close in early spring.

A final clearance began on Jan. 8 and will run for approximately 10 weeks.

In conjunction with these store closings, an estimated $25 million to $30 million of costs will be booked in the fourth quarter of 2011.

Source: Biz Journals

LSU Health Care Services plans for 100 layoffs

2012-01-18T07:47:00.000+05:30

Employees at University Medical Center have received a notice of impending layoff.

The LSU Health Care Services Division, which oversees UMC, sent out the notices Tuesday to employees at its eight institutions across the state.

The notice is required by state civil service rules, but does not necessarily mean that every employee who received a notice will be laid off.

According to the notice, the UMC layoffs will be effective March 5.

UMC Administrator Larry Dorsey said the hospital employs approximately 900 people. If the proposed layoff plan is implemented, there could be 80 to 100 layoffs at UMC, resulting in four medical services being closed.

Dorsey said he is hopeful that an effort in Baton Rouge to come up with funding from other sources would prevent the layoffs, but that the LSU system is taking action to prepare employees and hospitals for staff reductions.

“This layoff is being proposed due to the inability of the Health Care Services Division to realize the additional federal funding for care delivered to the uninsured and Medicaid population amounting to $29 million during the current fiscal year, FY 2011-2012,” the notice reads.

The LSU system’s layoff plan still must be approved by the state civil service board.

So far, the system has not specified how many employees may be laid off as a result of the state budget cuts.

Source: The Advertiser

Northrop Grumman layoffs 90 employees in Maryland

2012-01-18T07:45:00.004+05:30

Ninety Maryland employees of Northrop Grumman Corp.’s Electronic Systems sector will be laid off, the company announced Tuesday. The cuts are part of a 400 person company-wide reduction.

In October, the Fall Church, Va.-based defense contractor announced plans to cut 800 positions across the country in their Electronic Systems sector by the end of January. While more than 300 employees left the company as a result, “the number of volunteers did not reduce our headcount to the extent required in all of the areas where we have an insufficient amount of work,” said company spokesperson Jack Martin Jr.

All laid-off employees will work through January 31. An additional 20 manufacturing employees at the company’s Linthicum plant will be furloughed for between four and five months due to lack of work during that time, Martin said.

Source: The Daily Record

Wethersfield Health Care Center to cut 145 jobs by March

2012-01-18T07:44:00.004+05:30

There are about 60 fewer patients since the owner of Wethersfield Health Care Center told the state it would like to close the nursing home — and as a result, HealthBridge Management announced Tuesday, it will be laying off 145 of the staffers there in March.

Although the nursing home is obligated to give the state 60 days' notice on the mass layoffs, it's unusual that a company would choose to publicize that layoff.

"Normally a last thing a nursing home operator would do is send out a press release saying they're cutting staff," said Deborah Chernoff, spokeswoman for Service Employees International Union, District 199, which represents 105 of the workers who will be laid off in mid- to late March.

She said the state still has another month before it has to weigh in on HealthBridge's request to shut down the nursing home, which the company says has lost money for years. But she said that by publicizing its downsizing, it makes it more likely that residents will flee, making it less likely the nursing home can find a buyer — the outcome politicians said they wanted at the public hearing on the request in November.

"We are extremely regretful that this step was necessary," Wethersfield Health Care Center spokeswoman Sharon Donaghue was quoted as saying in a press release. "Our employees have provided great health care for many years. … We will do what we can to help those employees who will be affected by these layoffs to find positions with other employers."

In November, the company said it had about 250 employees in Wethersfield.

"Whatever their financial arguments are for closing Wethersfield, this is also part of their negotiating strategy," Chernoff said. The union filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board arguing that the push to close the home was an effort to intimidate union members at homes in Wethersfield, Newington, Milford, Danbury, Westport and Stamford. The regulators have not yet weighed in on the charge.

Chernoff said that HealthBridge's actions — including locking out 100 workers in Milford since December — have not caused workers to say the union should agree to more concessions.

HealthBridge has said it would end the lockout if the union would agree that its workers would no longer earn credits toward a pension. The two sides have no negotiations scheduled.

"People are frightened certainly, but they're also angry," Chernoff said. "They have something worth preserving and they're going to fight to preserve it."

Source: Courant

The Hershey Company to layoff 200 workers in March

2012-01-18T07:43:00.001+05:30

Chocolate giant The Hershey Co. will layoff 200 hourly and salaried workers in March as part of its ongoing transition to the expanded Old West Chocolate Avenue facility in Derry Township.

That transition is expected to be mostly complete by the end of March, but the lines at Hershey's traditional factory on East Chocolate Avenue will not stop producing until early April, spokesman Jeff Beckman said.

More than 500 workers will transition to the expanded west plant by the end of March, he said. The older factory still is producing Kisses, Hershey's Syrup, chocolate bars and Rolos. The company began sending notices to workers last week, he said.

The number of layoffs is less than the nearly 400 job cuts the company considered, said Dennis Bomberger, business manager for Chocolate Workers Local 464 of the Bakery Confectionery Tobacco Workers & Grain Millers International Union, which represents Hershey workers.

The union voted for the company to cut the midstate workforce by as many as 600 jobs in 2010 when Hershey first announced its plans to close the older facility. The union was facing a possible move of production to another state without the vote.

Whether all 200 people are laid off permanently is yet to be seen, Bomberger said. The company could meet part of the cuts through voluntary attrition and retirements, and it could put workers on a list of permanent extras who substitute for others during vacations and illnesses, he said.

More than 1,200 people work in Hershey's two Dauphin County plants, Bomberger said.

Source: Central Penn Business

Iran may layoff 200,000 civil servants by 2015

2012-01-17T07:51:00.004+05:30

Iran’s fifth five-year socio-economic development plan, which ends in 2015, has envisaged transferring up to 200,000 employees of the state-run sector to the private sector, the vice president for human resources and management affairs stated.

Speaking to the ISNA news agency, Lotfollah Forouzandeh said that around 2 million employees are working in state-run organizations. If we implement the article 44 of the Constitution toward downsizing the government, 10 percent of the civil servants should be transferred to the private sector by 2015, he noted.

Iran has privatized up to 500 companies during the last six years, said Iran’s minister of economic affairs and finance Shamseddin Hosseini in August 2011.

He announced that the government has gained around 77 billion dollars income by ceding shares of the companies to the private sector during the mentioned period.

In 2007, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei instructed government officials to speed up implementation of the policies outlined in the amendment of Article 44, and move towards economic privatization.

Massive privatization of state-owned enterprises over the past several years, which had hitherto justified the state sponsorship of major economic activities, have been the hallmark of economic reforms in Iran, which was enabled after the reinterpretation of the relevant provisions of Iran’s constitution and following authorization by the highest political decision-making bodies in Iran.

According to the Iran Privatization Organization, over the past five years 589 state-owned companies with nearly 83 billion dollars worth of shares have been privatized, according to Middle East Online.

Source: Tehran Times

Magyar Suzuki, Hungarian unit of Japanese carmaker Suzuki not planning for layoffs

2012-01-17T07:50:00.002+05:30

Magyar Suzuki, the Hungarian unit of Japanese carmaker Suzuki, will not lay off workers at the company’s factory in Esztergom (N Hungary) in spite of GM’s decision to discontinue production of Opel Agila cars at the plant, Magyar Suzuki Communications Director Viktoria Ruska told MTI on Monday.

Ms. Ruska said that Magyar Suzuki would replace production of the Agila with that of another model, noting that the unit expects to assemble 170,000 vehicles in 2012, just as in 2011.

Magyar Suzuki employs 3,400 workers, and suppliers’ headcount is around 50,000. Suzuki accounts for 2% of Hungary’s total annual exports according to the company’s calculations.

Source: BBJ

Mortgage insurer PMI announces 155 job cuts

2012-01-17T07:49:00.001+05:30

Mortgage insurer PMI has announced that it is laying off 155 jobs at its corporate headquarters in Walnut Creek, Calif.

The San Jose Mercury News reports that the layoffs follow a rough 2011 fourth quarter for PMI, which filed for bankruptcy in November after its mortgage insurance origination units were seized in October by Arizona state regulators. PMI's bankruptcy filing listed $736 million in debts.

"PMI intends to offer severance benefits and transition programs, including outplacement services, to affected employees," said Charles Broom, senior vice president with PMI Mortgage, in an internal memo obtained by the Mercury News.

The PMI layoffs are the latest bad news for the financial services sector in California's East Bay region, which has already registered 2,200 lost jobs in the past 12 months and 15,600 jobs in the five years ending November 2011.

Source: Mortgage Orb

Batesville Casket Company to layoff 100 employees

2012-01-17T07:48:00.000+05:30

One of southeast Indiana's largest employers will be laying off 100 employees. The city that surrounds Batesville Casket Company will likely feel the impact.

The company's president, Kim Dennis, said workers were notified about the layoffs on Friday.

Dennis said the company isn't at risk of closing, but needs to adapt to changes in the industry.

"We see a continuing shift in consumer trends. We see a shift from metal caskets to wood caskets. We see a shift towards cremation. All of those things make us, as a company, need to respond to those changes," Dennis said.

Dennis said some employees will be offered early retirement, while others will get severance packages.

The company is Batesville's No. 1 employer.

"I'm sure it's gonna have some impact," said Randy Stoneburner, the owner of Randy's Roadhouse. "But we're as curious as anybody else as to what degree that impact is gonna hit us."

Dennis said the company will try to help those that do get laid off find work in Batesville.

People who live in Batesville said the community will come together to help as well.

"It's a small community," Stoneburner said. "People here are real supportive of each other and helpful with each other, and so I think they'll keep it up."

Source: WLWT

Foxconn to layoff 600 in Slovak plant

2012-01-17T07:46:00.004+05:30

Taiwanese electronics company Foxconn will lay off 600 people in its Slovak plant where it makes LCD televisions for Sony due to low demand, Slovak business daily Hospodarske noviny reported on Monday.

"The unfavourable situation in the LCD television sector in the global and European markets has had an impact on our strategic partner, which reflects on our production plans," the spokeswoman for Foxconn in Slovakia, Helena Windisch, told the daily.

The spokeswoman was not available for a direct confirmation when her office was contacted by AFP Monday.

Foxconn said a year ago it planned to boost output by 50 percent in 2011 and add 900 extra staff to the 3,000 employees it had at the beginning of last year.

But slowing demand over 2011 has hit electronics production -- the second biggest driving force of Slovakia's economy behind auto manufacturing.

In November, it fell by fell by 9.3 percent compared to the same month in 2010.

Source: AFP

Discount shoe chain Barratts Priceless Shoes to cut 680 jobs

2012-01-17T07:45:00.000+05:30

Discount shoe chain Barratts Priceless Shoes is to make a further 680 staff redundant after its founder, Michael Ziff, struck a deal with administrators to save the rump of its remaining high street stores.

It is the second time Mr Ziff has bought the struggling chain out of administration in the past three years. The existing management team has bought 89 Barratts Priceless stores from administrator Deloitte for an undisclosed sum, but will close a further 39 shops and 14 concessions. This is in addition to the closure of 18 stores before Christmas.

In a week that has left high street landlords reeling, the closures come on top of 84 stores vacated by lingerie chain La Senza following a pre-pack administration, and the threat of dozens of Blacks Leisure stores closing later this year, after a deal to sell the lossmaking chain to JD Sports.

In December, Barratts Priceless announced 1,600 job losses when no buyer could be found for its concessions business, which operated 374 shoe shops within Arcadia Group and Debenhams stores.

A statement from administrator Deloitte released on Sunday morning said:

“The deal to the existing management team will ensure that the Barratts and Priceless brands and the online business will continue to trade.”

“We are delighted to have negotiated a deal, which will secure the employment of over 1,100 employees and ensure the Barratts and Priceless brands continue, especially given the adversity which has beset the High Street over recent months,” said Daniel Butters, joint administrator and partner in Deloitte’s restructuring services practice.

Deloitte was appointed before Christmas after poor trading and growing competition from discount chains and supermarkets selling cheap shoes threatened Barratt’s ability to pay December’s quarterly rent bill.

“Landlords will count themselves among the losers as once again they find themselves at the bottom of the food chain when it comes to who gets paid when a company fails,” said Liz Peace, chief executive of the British Property Federation. “When you consider that many of our pension funds are invested with them, the pain will also be borne out by the general public.

Ms Peace said that while some landlords may manage to relet space, “for those that can’t, the prospect of voids and empty property rates are now a real threat”.

Nearly three years have passed since Stylo, the listed retailer which owned the Barratts and Priceless Shoes brands, put the chain into administration, closing down 220 of its 380 stores. Mr Ziff, who was chairman of Stylo, bought 160 stores from administrators in March 2009 after shop landlords voted down a restructuring involving a creditor’s voluntary arrangement.

Source: FT

Disability job firm Pluss plans for layoffs

2012-01-17T07:43:00.001+05:30

A company that offers employment and training opportunities to people with disabilities has said it is consulting over 25 redundancies.

Pluss, owned by Devon, Plymouth, Torbay and Somerset councils, said it was consulting over eight jobs in Exeter and 17 in Torbay.

It said it wanted to redirect some of its funding to "support disabled people into work".

The organisation said it would help any people affected with finding jobs.

The company said it helped to get about 3,500 people get into work last year.

Source: BBC

Layoff in US banking industry to put more than 80,000 out of work

2012-01-15T18:18:00.000+05:30

While it seems less Americans are on unemployment lines lately the same cannot be said about people in the U.S. Banking industry. The nation's largest financial institutions have announced layoffs in the coming weeks that will put more than 80 thousand men and women - out of work.

Aaron Elstein reports on the banking industry for Crain's New York business magazine. He says banks are still struggling to control costs, while burdened with debt - in an economy that continues to yield little or no growth.

The ongoing US Economic crisis has created an atmosphere of caution in the banking sector. Big deals worth billions of dollars - once a regular occurrence on Wall Street - are now a rarity.

Regulators have also reduced the amount of money banks can make in business transactions. If streamlining measures are unable to keep up with reduced revenue at the nation's large financial institutions - thousands more in the industry could be getting termination notices
after the end of the next quarter.

Among average Americans, there is very little sympathy for the banking industry since many blame it for the current economic crisis. But those same surveys point to another source for the ongoing woes.

Thousands of banking executives who survive this round of layoffs may keep their jobs but will still feel the affects of a meager year. The banking industry along with the rest of corporate America will be handing our some of the smallest company bonuses in a decade.

Analysts predict the slashing of payrolls in 2012 will not help make for more profits immediately but rather could just help them survive.

Source: Press TV

Bemis to close Milprint facility at Newark, 124 jobs lost

2012-01-15T18:15:00.000+05:30

As per an internal memo that we have received, Bemis Company Inc is closing the manufacturing facility of Milprint at Newark, CA by 31st May of this year.

This decision will be costing the jobs of 124 employees. The company further stated that the closure is in line with the ongoing optimization plan which had earlier resulted in the closure of Longview, Texas facility.

The entire memo below:

Garda World Security Corp to cut 300 jobs in Canada

2012-01-15T18:00:00.002+05:30

Almost 300 security screeners at Toronto's Pearson International Airport, employees of Montreal-based Garda World Security Corp., face potential layoff, the Canadian Auto Workers Union said Thursday.

But Garda said it is temporarily laying off 68 security workers at Pearson and reducing the number of hours of 231 others to 20 hours weekly.

The union said Garda notified its airport security staff that 299 layoffs will be effective Jan. 25. It said the layoffs should be delayed to ensure public safety and the federal government should become directly involved in a contract dispute that has lasted several months.

Garda's statement said airport screening operations "have been affected by an adjustment in the number of available hours over the last several months ... on Wednesday we informed our union that we are reducing weekly hours, temporarily laying off 68 employees and reducing the number of hours of 231 employees to 20 hours weekly ... we will minimize the impact on passengers."

Last autumn, Garda won a five-year contract worth $652 million to provide enhanced security at 15 central region (mainly Ontario) airports, including Pearson International, with an option for a five-year extension. Garda previously provided screening at Montreal, Calgary and Edmonton, but gave these up for the Ontario airports.

The company operates cash-handling, risk-management and personal security businesses in North America, Asia, the Mideast and elsewhere.

Source: Montreal Gazette

Pharma major Novartis to layoff 1,960 employees

2012-01-15T17:57:00.004+05:30

Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis AG announced Friday it would lay off 1,960 people and will take $1.22 billion in charges to prepare for generic competition to its blood pressure pill, Diovan, and lower sales potential of the drug Tekturna, Bloomberg reported.

Most of those who will lose their jobs are pharmaceutical salespeople or work at the company's headquarters in New York City.

Novartis is the parent company of Fort Worth-based Alcon Laboratories and none of the cutbacks are expected to affect that operation as the reductions affect only Novartis Pharmaceuticals.

“We recognize that the next two years will be challenging in the Pharmaceuticals Division and we are proactively making these changes to further focus our pipeline on the best opportunities and align our market position on our growth brands,” said David Epstein,

Division Head of Novartis Pharmaceuticals, in a news release. “These are difficult but necessary decisions that will free up resources to invest in the future of our business which we view as well suited to bring new valuable therapies to patients and payors.”

In fact, Alcon Laboratories is expanding and will begin moving about 400 workers into 87,000 square feet of space at Wilcox Plaza at Green Oaks in the spring.

The move is needed to accommodate employees moving to Fort Worth from Atlanta, as well as other growth.

Source: Biz Journals

Oakland layoffs 1,500 workers

2012-01-15T17:56:00.003+05:30

Oakland, Calif. officials sent layoff notices to about 1,500 workers as a result of the loss of millions of dollars in California redevelopment funding.

About 200 city workers are expected to lose their jobs, and police officers and firefighters will be exempt from the move, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Friday.

The jobs expected to be cut are paid for, in part, out of redevelopment funds provided by the state, intended to fight urban blight. Gov. Jerry Brown approved the California Legislature's plan last summer for cities to shut down redevelopment agencies -- although cities could keep the agencies operating if they agree to reimburse money to the state, the newspaper said.

Oakland had to give notice to half of its 3,000 employee force to comply with seniority layoff protocols, forcing a complete revamping of City Hall, said Sue Piper, a spokeswoman for Mayor Jean Quan.

"We had a great, two-year balanced budget, and then the state pulled the rug out from us. This is forcing us to make some very tough decisions," Piper said.

Wendy Johnson, 55, a customer service worker in the Office of Parks and Recreation for 17 years, said the cuts could be overwhelming for her and her family.

"I love Oakland. It's a part of me, my heritage," said Johnson, a lifelong Oakland resident. "But I worry about my grandkids, that they won't have the same great city to grow up in that I did."

Source: UPI

Call center Sykes Enterprises plans to cut 167 jobs

2012-01-15T17:53:00.004+05:30

A Spokane Valley call center intends to lay off 167 employees.

Sykes Enterprises notified state regulators of the action. The layoff date is effective March 12, according to records released Friday afternoon.

Sykes has 43,000 employees, with offices in 24 countries.

In 2010 the company purchased ICT Group Inc., which first set up the call center in Spokane Valley a decade ago inside the former U-City Mall.

Representatives of Sykes could not be reached Friday afternoon. The layoff announcement was made by the Washington State Employment Security Department.

Source: Spokes Man

More than 100 police officers laid off at Miami-Dade

2012-01-15T17:52:00.001+05:30

More than 100 police officers are among the Miami-Dade employees targeted for layoffs, officials say.

Mayor Carlos Gimenez said Friday night that a total of 118 officers are being laid off and 41 demoted, WTVJ-TV reported. John Rivera, president of the Police Benevolent Association chapter, put the number of layoffs at 98, with eight lieutenants and 33 sergeants moved down a grade.

The layoff notices, which went out Friday, are part of a lengthy battle between Gimenez and the county commission. Gimenez vetoed a commission resolution passed Wednesday that blocked him from requiring police union members to pay 5 percent more toward their health costs.

Gimenez said he was sending out the layoff notices in case his veto is overridden.

The fight began last year when the mayor submitted a budget that demanded concessions from city employees to pay for a cut in property taxes.

While the exact number of layoffs is still in doubt, officials say there is no doubt that scores of employees, including police officers, will eventually lose their jobs.

"In a department with a history of dark and difficult days, this one is unique," Miami-Dade Police Director Jim Loftus said in an e-mail to employees. "Never before have so many of our finest left us under these circumstances. To everyone impacted by this layoff, my heart goes out to you. My family and I will keep you in our prayers."

Source: UPI

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton is cutting 234 civilian jobs

2012-01-13T07:54:00.001+05:30

The U.S. Air Force's 4,500 job cuts have hit Ohio, where the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton is cutting 234 civilian workers, the Dayton Business Journal reports.

In November, the base was expected to add 350 jobs as part of a consolidation of Air Force Material Command, but now the base will see a net reduction of 234 civilian positions, the newspaper reports.

The Air Force is offering voluntary separation incentive pay and early retirement programs as part of the cuts, the newspaper reports.

Source: Biz Journals

Ulster Bank to layoff 950 employees

2012-01-13T07:52:00.001+05:30

Ulster Bank is to slash its workforce by 950, with 600 redundancies in the Republic of Ireland and 350 in Northern Ireland.

The bank's parent company, Royal Bank of Scotland also announced it will be laying off 3,500 staff in its investment wing, to compete with the financial sector.

In a statement the bank said: "As local and global economies continue to deteriorate, these actions are being taken as part of the bank's overall business strategy to ensure the organisation is well placed to compete effectively in the market and continues to serve the needs of its 1.9 million customers across the island of Ireland through its extensive branch and business centre network."

Larry Broderick, General Secretary of the Irish Bank Officials Association, said the sheer magnitude of proposed redundancies is breathtaking.

He said the union is trying to protect as many jobs as possible and he wants answers on how cuts will help the bank's declared commitments.

Enterprise Minister, Arlene Foster, has said that the scale of redundancies proposed at the Ulster Bank is deeply disappointing.

The Minister said: “This announcement has come as a huge shock to staff who work for Ulster Bank. Such a significant number of job losses is very worrying.

"I have had discussions with senior representatives of Ulster Bank and assured them that the Executive will work with local management and their owners in the Royal Bank of Scotland to attract any future RBS jobs into Northern Ireland.

"This decision by the RBS is reflective of the state of the financial services sector as many organisations undergo major restructuring. However, with front line staff facing redundancies, it is important that senior management in RBS are seen to be behaving in a responsible manner as the organisation moves forward."

Source: 4NI

Ferry operator Tallink cuts 50 jobs in Finland

2012-01-13T07:50:00.004+05:30

Ferry operator Tallink is planning to lay off over 50 land service employees of its Finnish subsidiary Tallink Silja.

The company has initiated negotiations, which involve around 330 employees in Helsinki, according to Helsingin Sanomat.

Pasi Näkki, deputy CEO of Tallink Silja said that redundancy of land services has arisen due to the increasing number of electronic ticket sales channels. The planned layoff should bring the company's operations in line with its needs, Näkki said.

The Tallink Silja passenger ships are operating on Tallinn-Helsinki, Helsinki-Stockholm and Turku-Stockholm routes.

Tallink Grupp, with an estimated value of 530 million euros in 2011, is one of the largest passenger and cargo shipping companies in the Baltic Sea region.

Source: News ERR

Telegram & Gazette shits press to Boston, 60 jobs lost

2012-01-13T07:48:00.001+05:30

The Telegram & Gazette will shift most of its printing operations from its Millbury plant to the Boston Globe's printing facility in Dorchester, a move that will result in the layoff of 64 employees.

Publisher Bruce Gaultney announced the change in a memo to employees this morning. The layoffs cover 48 full-time and 16 part-time employees. All full-time employees will receive severance packages.

T&G management is meeting with the affected employees today.

“This was an extremely difficult decision because we all know the excellent contributions our co-workers have made to the company over the years,” Mr. Gaultney said in the memo. “I sincerely appreciate their dedication to the important task of printing the newspaper every day of the year.”

The Globe will begin printing the Sunday Telegram and all weekday editions of the T&G. The T&G will continue printing its Saturday paper.

Mr. Gaultney said the move will not change the time subscribers receive their newspapers in the morning. Cost savings from the move, he said, will allow the T&G to “invest in our multi-media efforts and to provide the most comprehensive local news coverage in Central Massachusetts.”

The T&G will shut down two Goss Flexoliner presses but will continue to operate the offset press that serves most of its commercial print customers. The offset press will also print the Saturday T&G.

The Millbury printing facility has 175 employees. With this latest wave of layoffs, the facility will have 111 employees.

In an effort to cut costs, other newspapers are also making changes to their printing operations. The Globe and the Boston Herald, longtime rivals, announced an agreement this week that allows the Globe to print and distribute the Herald.

The T&G and the Globe both are owned by the New York Times Co.

Source: Telegram

Belgian supermarket group Delhaize cuts 5,000 jobs in Europe and US

2012-01-13T07:47:00.001+05:30

Brussels-based supermarket group Delhaize, which owns the U.S. grocery chain Food Lion, announced Thursday will will lay off 5,000 employees in the U.S. and Europe and close several locations by March.

Chief Executive of Belgian supermarket group Delhaize Pierre-Olivier Beckers presents the group's 2008 results in Brussels March 12, 2009.

The moves aim to make Delhaize more competitive, especially after disappointing earnings in the last quarter.

"After a thorough review of our store portfolio, we have decided to close or convert a number of stores in the U.S. and in Southeastern Europe during the first quarter of 2012," Pierre-Olivier Beckers, CEO of Delhaize Group said in a statement. "This decision is in line with our New Game Plan which is aimed at accelerating profitable growth."

The Belgian company posted seven percent growth in revenue in the fourth quarter of 2011. For the year, revenue grew 4.6 percent.

The layoffs will mean 146 grocery stores, mostly Food Lion stores, will be closed between the U.S. and Europe. In addition, Delaize will convert 64 facilities, currently operating under various brands, into Food Lion stores. Delhaize expect to spend about $1 billion this year to open at least 200 new stores, remodel 200 more and accelerate the opening of as many as 700 Food Lion groceries.

Source: IB Times

Offset Paperback plant layoffs 69 employees in Dallas

2012-01-13T07:45:00.000+05:30

A printing facility in Luzerne County will lay off 69 full-time employees.

The Offset Paperback plant near Dallas in Dallas Township makes 350 million paperback books a year.

Because of the increased competition from electronic books, company officials confirm they will slash 69 jobs by the end of January. The company currently employees close to 600 full-time workers.

Offset Paperback released this statement to Newswatch 16.

"While the company has avoided significant losses, the rapidly evolving publishing market and the continued popularity of e-readers and other devices impacted the company`s output in 2011," a company statement said.

On January 27 Offset will lay off 69 full-time positions and hire part-time employees.

Some of the employees who will be laid off told Newswatch 16 they worked there for 15 years, and now they don't know what they are going to do.

Source: WNEP

Oakland to layoff 1,500 city employees next week

2012-01-13T07:44:00.001+05:30

Pink slips will go out to more than 1,500 city employees next week, as Oakland races to meet a Feb. 1 deadline to dissolve its redevelopment agency.

Although fewer than 200 employees are actually expected to lose their jobs, the City Council wants maximum flexibility as it considers major cuts to make up for the $25 to $30 million in redevelopment funds that went to pay employee salaries.

In a Thursday letter informing city employees of the pending layoff notices, City Administrator Deanna Santana announced that she was imposing a moratorium on new hires, ordering department heads to propose 5 percent cuts and asking labor unions for concessions.

The City Council will meet on Jan. 25 to discuss budget cuts and corresponding layoffs.

"There is no place to go to fill this gap," Councilmember Jane Brunner said. "There are whole departments that are just going to be bare bones."

A California Supreme Court ruling last month effectively eliminated the state-subsidized redevelopment program, which cities used to fight blight and build affordable housing. Oakland, which designated nearly half the city as blighted, had one of the most active redevelopment programs in the state. Redevelopment funds paid for the equivalent of 159 full-time employees, stretching over 11 departments, including 17 police officers and nearly 100 members of the city's Community and Economic Development Agency.

The police officers funded through $3.5 million in redevelopment funds are immune from layoffs under the police contract. All layoff notices must go out Wednesday to give employees the required notice before layoffs could begin on Feb. 1.

Santana said she asked department heads to propose 5 percent reductions to help her prioritize essential services.

The city is holding out hope that state legislators will delay the dissolution date of redevelopment agencies, or, even better, devise a new system of redevelopment that would help the city avoid making any layoffs.

Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg has introduced legislation that would preserve redevelopment funding for affordable housing, which would save $35 million for Oakland projects and associated city staff positions, Assistant City Administrator Fred Blackwell said.

Source: Mercury News

Shopping website Rue La La cuts 60 jobs

2012-01-13T07:42:00.004+05:30

Rue La La, the Boston-based, members-only shopping website, said today it will cut about 60 positions from its workforce of 550 employees, after absorbing partner site SmartBargains.com.

The company said it plans to devote more attention to its “core business” and restructure its network of Rue Local sites in San Francisco, Miami, and Chicago, all of which were launched last August.

It said it plans on “outsourcing our sales force and consolidating SmartBargains.com into Rue La La...These moves unfortunately resulted in the elimination of some staff positions.”

Less than half of the lost jobs are in Boston.

Rue La La competes with other member-only shopping sites, including Gilt Groupe and HauteLook, in an increasingly competitive online marketplace for daily, invitation-only sales of designer wares.

Rue La La had been a drag on the earnings of its previous parent company, GSI Commerce, a division of eBay Inc. GSI bought Rue La La in 2009 in a deal valued at $350 million, but in 2011, spun off Rue La La as a private company with eBay retaining 30 percent ownership.

In the statement, Rue La La said it has seen “dramatic growth with nearly $300 million in sales in 2011 and similar growth planned for 2012 and beyond.”

Source: Boston Globe

Vestas Wind Systems to layoff 2,335 employees

2012-01-13T07:41:00.002+05:30

Vestas Wind Systems A/S, the world's biggest maker of wind turbines in terms of revenue, said Thursday it is to lay off 2,335 people worldwide and warned that an additional 1,600 jobs in the U.S. could be at risk if Congress doesn't extend tax breaks for renewable energy.

Vestas, which is based in Aarhus, Denmark, said the layoffs were part of efforts to reduce fixed costs by more than €150 million ($191 million) as it deals with tough competition and a market slowdown following the global recession in 2008-2009.

Vestas A/S, the world's biggest maker of wind turbines in terms of revenues, said Thursday it will lay off around 2,300 employees, mainly in Denmark, because of a market downturn caused by the financial crisis.

Vestas said it would lay off 1,300 employees in Denmark; 450 of those would come in Spain, Italy, Germany and Sweden while 400 would go in China and 182 in the United States. The company is preparing for further cuts if the U.S. doesn't extend its Production Tax Credit for renewable energy, which expires at the end of 2012.

"This can result in layoffs of an additional 1,600 employees at the factories in the USA," Vestas said in a statement.

In 2010, Vestas was awarded about $51 million in federal tax credits in the U.S., where it has invested more than $1 billion in four facilities in Colorado. The U.S. operations are headquartered in Portland, Oregon.

The Danish company expanded rapidly until the economic downturn slowed investments in wind power. In addition, Vestas has lost market share to Chinese competitors.

Sluggish sales have already forced the company to slash its forecasts for 2012 twice. It has also abandoned its 2015 sales target of €15 billion ($19.1 million) and the aim of reaching a profit margin of 15 percent.

Vestas shares fell 4 percent to 60.30 kroner ($10.32) in Copenhagen after the layoffs were announced.

Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt called it "very, very sad news" for the country, which seeks to profile itself as a green energy leader.

"This is one of the businesses that we thought would be the new way of doing green technology," she said. "Despite the setback that we have seen right now, this is and will be the right approach."

Last year, Vestas laid off 3,000 workers after posting a 24 percent drop in profits in the third quarter.

Sydbank analyst Jacob Pedersen said the cutbacks were a "big step in the right direction" to make the company more competitive.

After the cuts, Vestas said it will have around 20,400 staff and 25 factories worldwide.

Denise Bode, chief executive of the American Wind Energy Association, said the announcement by Vestas shows the danger to U.S. manufacturing jobs if Congress puts off extension of the renewable energy tax credit, which is scheduled to expire at the end of the year.

"The layoffs have begun, and every week that goes by without an extension puts these good American jobs at greater risk," Bode said.

Wind energy is one of the nation's fastest-growing industries, Bode said, and manufacturers such as Vestas have invested billions of dollars in the U.S. economy.

Renewal of the tax credit "needs to be first on the list of priorities to be included when Congress gets back to work again in a few weeks," she said.

Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said the U.S. needs a stable, long-term tax policy that allows companies to plan over multiple years.

"Unfortunately, the type of short-term extensions Congress is prone to passing puts American jobs in jeopardy," Bingaman said.

Source: Desert News

Royal Bank of Scotland to cut 3,500 jobs

2012-01-13T07:39:00.004+05:30

The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is to axe 3,500 investment bank jobs and sell or shut equities and advisory business under a three-year plan to further reduce risk and focus more on domestic retail and corporate banking.

RBS, 83 percent owned by the UK government, yesterday said it will exit from cash equities, corporate broking, equity capital markets and mergers and acquisitions businesses.

It aims to cut the balance sheet of its former global banking and markets (GBM) business by 120 billion pounds ($184 billion) to 300 billion in the next three years.

“The closure of equities has been well flagged, what’s more encouraging is the downsizing of the balance sheet. It’s taking more risk out of the business, taking more capital dependency and wholesale funding requirements out,” said Mike Trippitt, an analyst at Oriel Securities.

RBS said it is adapting to “significant new pressures” on its wholesale banking business, and the changes will make it more conservatively funded, more focused on customers and better able to deliver stable returns.

UK finance minister George Osborne last month told the bank to shrink GBM further to become less risky, even after halving in size in the last three years.

The job cuts add to 2,000 layoffs at GBM in the second half of last year, and together account for more than a quarter of GBM’s 18,900 staff at the end of September.

“Enough is enough. It is a disgrace that while on a daily basis stories are emerging about the massive bonuses at the top of the bank, increasing numbers of jobs are being cut from amongst the hard working staff,” said David Fleming, Unite union national officer, estimating RBS had cut 22,000 jobs in Britain since 2008.

RBS is under fire for potential multi-million pound bonus payouts for Chief Executive Stephen Hester and GBM boss John Hourican.

The bank announced it will separately cut 950 jobs at troubled Irish unit Ulster Bank.

Source: Daily News

Multi-Color Corp to close Kansas operation, 65 layoffs

2012-01-13T07:38:00.004+05:30

Multi-Color Corp. is closing its Kansas City-area location, laying off 65 people.

According to a Tuesday WARN Act filing in Missouri, the layoff would occur by March 31. A spokesman with the Missouri WARN office said the facility was shutting down completely.

An employee at the facility in Platte County said the location had been bought out and was closing its doors. The facility is at 1800 N.W. Vivon Road in Northmoor.

According to its website, Multi-Color (Nasdaq: LABL) produces labels for home and personal-care products; food and beverage containers; and wine and spirits. The company is based in Batavia, Ohio, which is where the Kansas City employee referred questions about the buyout.

A call to the company was not immediately returned.

In its most recent Securities and Exchange Commission filing, the company reported $102.6 million in revenue for the three months that ended Sept. 30, compared with $90.6 million for the same period a year prior. The company reported $4.75 million in earnings for the same period, down from $5.75 million.

Source: Biz Journals

Suncadia Resort cuts 150 jobs

2012-01-13T07:37:00.004+05:30

Suncadia Resort is stuck in a winter no man's land. Not enough snow for quality sledding or cross country skiing and too much for golfing.

The lack of snow has put a costly pinch of the resort. Managers said they had to furlough some 150 workers who would normally be busy with the winter recreation crowds.

Managing Director Roger Beck said he hopes to bring most of them back when the snow falls. The winter drought is also cutting into profits in nearby Roslyn.

The cross country and snowmobile haven has a few die-hards passing through but it is far short of seasonal expectations.

Restaurant and Inn owner Jennifer Basterrechea said she has customers coming in for the Martin Luther King weekend but after that the books look as bleak as the snowless town streets.

The good news for both Roslyn and Suncadia is snow is expected over the weekend and next week.

And just in case, snow is already falling on Suncadia's popular sledding hill but it is the man-made kind.

Source: King 5

Microsoft new marketing strategy may result in hundreds of layoffs

2012-01-12T07:39:00.004+05:30

Microsoft is revamping its marketing strategy and may lay off hundreds of employees as a result.

Dina Bass at Bloomberg reports Steve Ballmer is concerned that the company isn't getting enough bang for its marketing buck, and is worried about threats to Microsoft's enterprise business — the company's core — from newcomers like Google, Apple, and Amazon.

It's easy to see why he might be worried.

Earlier this week, Forrester Research estimated that Apple will make $10 billion in enterprise hardware sales in 2012 -- that's up from essentially zero five years ago -- and this morning Google announced its biggest-ever win for Google Apps, as Spanish financial services giant BBVN said it will roll out Gmail and other Google products for its 110,000 employees by the end of the year.

The job cuts are not certain, and would number in the hundreds rather than thousands, says the report.

Separately, we've also heard rumblings of layoffs coming, but these rumors come up frequently and often are not borne out.

Microsoft continually cuts employees and sometimes entire product groups, but most of these are not reported as cuts because the company's overall headcount stays the same or increases as it hires elsewhere.

In 2009, it reduced headcount by about 5,000 people -- the first big reduction in its history as a public company.

The marketing change is reportedly being led by Chris Capossella, who took over Microsoft's central marketing organization from longtime exec Michelle Mathews last year.

Source: Global Post

MetLife cuts 860 jobs in Texas

2012-01-12T07:38:00.002+05:30

MetLife announced it would lay off 860 employees in its Irving, Texas office.

Those who worked inside of the MetLife Home Loans office in Irving said the company was trying to sell their home loans division to another company.

"There were 40 buyers and then they dwindled it down to six and then there was one buyer who was really interested, put a bid in, and from what I understood, that we were bought out a couple of days ago," said Giada Stride, a contractor for MetLife.

Then the news came out Wednesday night that MetLife would lay off 860 of the 1,400 employees from the Irving office.

"Out of nowhere, we get a call yesterday and it all fell through," said Stride. "MetLife has really good loans, so I'm really shocked that the deal fell through."

A spokesman for MetLife said they would no longer offer to consumers what they called their "forward mortgage" sales, which he described as traditional mortgages. The spokesman said they would still service current mortgages and would still sell reverse mortgages.

He said the Irving office was not completely shutting down, the employees that would be laid off would get 60 days notice, a severance package and could apply for other jobs in the company.

It was a decision that the mayor of Irving said was a wakeup call.

"We were surprised to get that notice obviously, but considering the type of industry and the economy right now, we weren't really shocked," said Mayor Beth Van Duyne.

Van Duyne said despite what happened at MetLife and the current state of the economy, she wasn't stopping from making Irving a good place to do business.

"The city of Irving is very aggressive in trying to pursue business opportunities, to relocate businesses here in the city as well as to retain those that we have," said Van Duyne.

Stride said leaving her full time job at another company for her contract job might have been a mistake.

"I was only here a couple of months before so I was kind of upset. I felt like I regretted my decision to leave Fannie Mae just because this really came out of nowhere," said Stride.

Source: The 33 TV

Hanford vitrification plant layoffs 154 construction workers

2012-01-12T07:37:00.001+05:30

Layoff notices were distributed to 154 construction workers Tuesday at the Hanford vitrification plant.

The layoffs were because of the mix of skills that will be needed this year at the $12.2 billion plant, which is being built to turn radioactive waste left from past weapons plutonium production into a stable glass form for disposal.

Some of the layoffs will be offset with the hiring of more engineers and nuclear safety workers, said Suzanne Heaston, spokeswoman for Bechtel National. Bechtel must finish the design of the plant, which requires nonmanual workers, and also is working toward licensing the plant, which also requires nonmanual workers.

The Obama administration had requested $840 million for work on the vitrification plant in the fiscal year that began Oct. 1, and Bechtel was planning its work to that level of funding. That would have allowed construction to ramp up.

However, the appropriation approved by Congress and signed into law in December had $740 million for the vitrification plant. Although $100 million less than requested, it's still $50 million more than the steady funding of $690 million a year that had been the basis for planning for the project.

"This should be viewed as an indication of the importance of this project to the nation, and the confidence that Congress has about the project and our team," said Frank Russo, Bechtel director of the vit plant project, in a recent memo to employees.

Bechtel and DOE continue to replan the 2012 work at the plant based on $740 million, and more information should be available in February.

"While there remains some uncertainty in the exact level of funding available to the project during (fiscal 2012), we are now planning the $740 million annual appropriations," Russo said in the memo.

"Project staffing, procurements and construction subcontracted activities will reflect the revised work plan," he said.

In November, Bechtel announced that it had laid off close to 200 construction workers by midmonth. But employment then was expected to remain within the typical range of 3,200 to 3,400 workers, including construction and nonmanual workers.

Now Bechtel puts that number slightly lower at 3,100 to 3,200 workers.

Mission Support Alliance, the Hanford support services contractor, also is moving forward with a layoff announced in December. It said then that up to 50 employees would leave their jobs by Feb. 2. Mission Support Alliance is hoping that most of the layoffs will be voluntary and now is considering the applications it received for voluntary layoffs.

In addition, as environmental cleanup along the Columbia River advances and work there is ramped down, Washington Closure Hanford plans to lay off 210 workers throughout the fiscal year that started Oct. 1.

Source: The News Tribune

Toronto Hydro terminates contracts, up to 1,000 jobs lost

2012-01-12T07:36:00.000+05:30

Toronto Hydro has terminated contracts with several outside contractors, and it's warning that internal layoffs could be next.

The contractors are expected to dismiss between 700 and 1,000 employees because of the loss of Toronto Hydro's business, according to the Toronto Star.

And the company says that it may lay off as many as 340 of its own employees, 20 percent of its internal workforce.

The cuts were announced after the Ontario Energy Board declined to award Toronto Hydro the $500 million (Canadian) in extra annual revenue that it had requested.

“We’ve started the process of right-sizing, or downsizing, the company to meet the approved amount,” said Blair Peberdy, vice president of Toronto Hydro.

Source: Biz Journals

Home video licensor and distributor Media Blasters layoff 60% of staff

2012-01-12T07:33:00.002+05:30

Following the shock of the exit of Bandai Entertainment. another contraction in the anime industry has been confirmed, though the severity of this one depends on your point of view. Home video licensor and distributor Media Blasters has confirmed that it will lay off 60% of its full-time staff and remain with a staff of five or six, with the twist being that CEO John Sirabella wants to rehire the laid-off staff as freelancers.

While he does concede that most will not take his offer, he has stated that production on currently slated titles will not be affected, with the next titles being released being Squid Girl on March 13th and a Blu-Ray version of Yasuo Umetsu's hard boiled action film Kite on February 28th.

Unfortunately this does not stop people from jumping to conclusions and predicting the worst for the company, when the lay offs are being taken to reduce costs, rather than being representative of any larger issues with the company itself. I do hope that those that do not want to be rehired as freelancers can find other jobs, it's kind of hard out there at the moment.

Source: Crunchy Roll

Computer Sciences Corp to cut 114 jobs in March

2012-01-12T07:32:00.004+05:30

Computer Sciences Corp. continues to shed workers in Beavercreek.

In a notice to the state of Ohio posted Wednesday, CSC said it will permanently layoff 114 employees in March. It was unclear how many people will remain after the layoffs.

The company has been working on a U.S. Air Force modernization effort called the Expeditionary Combat Support System, or ECSS, program.

When fully deployed, ECSS is slated to replace hundreds of legacy systems and save billions of dollars. However, the program has been running behind schedule and over budget.
CSC officials issued a short statement and refused to answer any questions about the fate of the Beavercreek office.

“The ECSS team currently employs over 200 dedicated people that have demonstrated success in meeting all the major milestones and prior commitments over the first four years of the program,” the statement said. “CSC greatly values our relationship with the U.S Air Force and looks forward to continuing our legacy of support in mission-critical programs.”

In September, CSC said it was moving 165 people off the program following an order to stop work on one phase. At that time, officials said more than 350 people would remain on the program.

Source: Biz Journals

ADM cuts 15% of corporate staff

2012-01-12T07:30:00.004+05:30

An Archer Daniels Midland spokesman says it’s too soon to know how many St. Louis area employees will be affected by the company’s decision to eliminate one thousand white-collar jobs company wide.

David Weintraub tells KMOX they won’t know until they find out how many workers accept voluntary retirement, which is being offered to employees who are at least 57-years-old and have worked at ADM at least seven years.

The deadline for accepting the package is January 31st.

Officials say the move is being made to boost productivity and profits. The cuts amount to about 15 percent of ADM’s corporate staff.

ADM isn’t saying how many employees it has in St. Louis.

Source: CBC Local

Wind turbine maker Vestas announces layoffs at Colorado plant

2012-01-12T07:29:00.002+05:30

Vestas, the wind turbine maker that maintains manufacturing plants in Colorado, plans to announce Thursday changes that could include job cuts, according to published reports.

Analysts predict that Vestas will lay off thousands of workers, though many could come from its operations in Denmark, Bloomberg News reported.

Vestas operates factories in Windsor, Brighton and Pueblo. At least one analyst believes Colorado operations may be spared because of strong demand before tax credits tied to wind power terminate at the end of the year. Vestas has invested more than $1 billion in the construction of its Colorado plants.

Vestas representatives did not immediately return phone calls and emails requesting comment on how organizational changes could affect Colorado facilities.

Vestas plays a key role in the town's economy, said Clay Drake, president of the Windsor Chamber of Commerce. Vestas employed about 750 at its Windsor plant as of August.

He could not comment specifically on the implications of the company's upcoming announcement.

"I had no idea that was coming, so I can't really comment on how that will affect the Windsor plant - I don't know," he said.

Source: NCBR

Sanofi-Aventis layoffs 100 employees in Montreal

2012-01-12T07:28:00.001+05:30

About 100 people are being laid off by French pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Aventis in the Montreal area.

The layoffs at a research-and-development centre in suburban Laval are part of an ongoing restructuring by the global drug maker.

The company cited reasons including a desire to better integrate Genzyme, a biotech company acquired last year for more than US$20 billion.

The layoffs are more bad news for Montreal's pharmaceutical industry, one day after Johnson & Johnson announced the closure of its research centre and the layoff of 126 workers.

About 1,700 people work for Sanofi's Canadian division.

Source: Winnipeg Free Press

Croatian operator T-Hrvatski Telekom to cut 450 jobs in first quarter

2012-01-11T07:56:00.001+05:30

Croatian operator T-Hrvatski Telekom has started the consultation processes required to make redundant 450 staff during the first quarter.

The average cost of severance and other statutory obligations per employee is approximately HRK 360,000 gross, a provision which was booked at the end of the 2011 financial year.

T-HT also announced it will continue to further invest in service development, infrastructure and business processes in 2012.

Source: Telecom Paper

Oscient Pharmaceuticals cuts 100 jobs

2012-01-11T07:54:00.001+05:30

Oscient Pharmaceuticals, a Waltham, MA-based drug maker, says it is laying off 32 percent of its total workforce, or about 100 jobs, to conserve cash.

The company—which markets fenofibrate (Antara) for high cholesterol and antibiotic gemifloxacin mesylate (Factive) for bronchitis—expects a charge of $2 million in this fiscal quarter related to the layoffs. The cuts, however, are projected to save the firm $8 million annually.

Source: Xconomy

Wayne County announces 90 layoffs

2012-01-11T07:53:00.002+05:30

Embattled Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano has announced the layoffs of 90 workers as part of cost-cutting efforts amid a $160 million budget deficit.

He says cuts in state grants for health and human services will force cuts of unionized employees in that department.

Ficano's office says the layoffs will save at least $6 million over the next 20 months. He says cuts in state grants for health and human services will force cuts of unionized employees in that department. They will be given a two-week notice.

The cuts come while the FBI investigates county finances. Investigators have subpoenaed records and are looking into a $200,000 severance deal involving a former development director. Turkia Mullin returned the money last year after criticism.

Ficano has said Mullin shouldn't have received the money because the severance contract was not executed.

Source: The Republic

Sears to layoff more than 80 employees in West Palm Beach

2012-01-11T07:51:00.001+05:30

More than 80 West Palm Beach Sears Essentials employees were given notice on Monday that layoffs will come as early as April, according to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.

The closing of Sears Essentials at 4560 Forest Hill Blvd. in West Palm Beach will leave 81 employees without jobs on April 12, said a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification on the FDEO website.

Kmart in Pompano Beach and the West Palm Beach Sears Essential store are among 120 locations set to close after Sears Holdings Corp. reported a slump in 2010 holiday sales. The company announced it will close up to 120 full-line Kmart and Sears stores across the country in order to generate up to $170 million in cash.

In December, Sears Holdings Corporation released an initial list of 79 stores scheduled to close.

It is unclear how many Kmart employees at 2421 N. Federal Highway in Pompano Beach will be lose their jobs. The actual closing dates of the stores has not been announced.

Source: Sun Senitel

Electric Boat to cut 41 jobs in March

2012-01-11T07:50:00.001+05:30

Electric Boat has notified the state Labor Department that it will lay off 41 trades workers in early to mid-March because of a decline in contracted work.

The company, which builds submarines in Groton for the U.S. Navy, notified the department Monday that it will be laying off 30 carpenters, 10 sheet metal workers, including an apprentice, and a joiner.

The company had planned to lay off hundreds of trades people in 2010 and 2011, but some layoffs were averted by maintenance contracts, and about 100 carpenters, pipefitters, machinists and sheet metal workers were given the opportunity to move to Portsmouth, Va., to continue working.

Even with layoffs and transfers, Electric Boat has increased its staff in southeast Connecticut over one year ago, because it has added hundreds of engineers.

The company has been losing trades work as the Navy's own shipyards do more maintenance and upgrades, and as a result of planned declines in work due to construction schedules.

Source: Courant

New Haven Register to layoff 105 workers

2012-01-11T07:47:00.003+05:30

The New Haven Register will lay off 105 workers who print the newspaper and handle advertising inserts, as well as some distribution employees, as it outsources its printing to The Hartford Courant.

The workers will be terminated in early- to mid-March, according to a letter the company sent to the state Department of Labor. Employers are required to report layoffs of 50 people or more under federal law.

The Register, which sells about about 64,500 papers on weekdays, moved to a "digital first" strategy in 2010, along with other newspapers at its parent firm, Journal Register Co. JRC said that strategy is the best one to reach its audience of 21 million people in 10 states.

As part of its strategy, The Register is selling its 200,000-square-foot office and industrial facility on 13 acres on Sargent Drive.

"The Register is looking to establish an open newsroom in the heart of New Haven's downtown," said Tom Wiley, publisher of The New Haven Register. "We are excited about the opportunity this move presents including our ability to host the community as part of a newsroom where our audience can participate at any level and in any part of the newsgathering process."

The concept will be partly modeled after the "Newsroom Café" in Torrington at the Register Citizen, a sister paper to The Register, Wiley said.

Wiley said The Register is finalizing an agreement with The Hartford Courant to print The Register and its sister publications, including The Register Citizen and Middletown Press. Additional details were not available Tuesday.

Source: Courant

Burnaby bakers in Canada layoffs 50 employees

2012-01-11T07:46:00.002+05:30

The coffee's still brewed in-store, but British Columbia Starbucks customers won't be able to order locally made baked goods with their grande cappuccino any more.

The Seattle-based global coffee giant has severed its contract with Burnaby bakers Monte Cristo, putting 50 people out of work.

"We have consolidated some of our baked goods suppliers in Canada to ensure consistent quality of these products," Starbucks Canada said in a statement.

"We will continue to work with multiple vendors across the country to source many of our products spanning a variety of categories, including dairy, sandwiches and our Bistro Boxes. We value the partnerships we have with our suppliers and thank them for their efforts to produce and deliver Starbucks products to our customers."

For close to 17 years the Monte Cristo Bakery has baked batches of scones and cinnamon stick twists for Starbucks stores in B.C. and Alberta.

But owner Karim Nathoo told media this week that Starbucks informed him a few weeks ago the company was switching to a national source, rather than regional suppliers.

The loss of such a large contract has meant the company has had to shed dozens of full-time jobs, bringing its workforce down to about 90 employees from 145 last year.

Customers enjoying their coffee breaks at a Langley Starbucks Tuesday expressed some concern, both over the layoffs and the future freshness of bakery products.

"The sad thing is, isn't that true of many places?" said Sue Marshall of Langley, referring to the practice of outsourcing and shipping restaurant food items from afar.

"You go wherever it is more reasonable. That's the way this economy is. The sad thing is we lose jobs. But whatever happens, people are still going to go to Starbucks."

"I'd like to keep the jobs within Canada," said customer Andrew Sanche, a fan of the chain's blueberry oat bar.

"Obviously though, I appreciate that they are trying to make a buck and if it is cheaper for them (to centralize) . . . hopefully the product quality won't go down. I'm pretty addicted to Starbucks."

Andrea Slamaj of Surrey, B.C., said the change, "doesn't really come as a shock to me, it's what's happening in the business world, they're trying to cut costs where they can. My concern would be freshness. And keeping jobs in Canada is important, too."

"But I don't really buy baked goods at Starbucks in the first place," she added. "I'm a Tim Hortons fan, myself."

Source: Canada

DSC Logistics to layoff 130 at Roanoke warehouse

2012-01-11T07:45:00.001+05:30

DSC Logistics has notified the Texas Workforce Commission that it plans to lay off about 130 people permanently from the workforce at its Roanoke warehouse at 300 Gateway Parkway. Layoffs will begin in early March.

In an emailed statement to the Star-Telegram on Tuesday the Des Plaines, Ill.-based warehouse and staging company said that the primary customer for the Roanoke facility, Kimberly Clark Healthcare Division, had reconfigured its distribution network.

The company lists a total of 156 employees at Roanoke. WARN notices of the impending layoffs were issued to employees last week.

The company said in its statement that it "highly values every employee" of the Roanoke facility "and will make every effort to place these employees at other DSC locations in the area. DSC manages and operates logistics centers for all three Kimberly-Clark divisions (Health Care, Consumer and Professional) in the DFW Metroplex, and DSC's strategic partnerships with Kimberly-Clark's Consumer and Professional divisions are not affected by this decision."

On its website the DSC lists among its customers major retailers such as Kohl's, food manufacturers such as Kellogg and even manufacturers such as Whirlpool.

Source: Star Telegram

Sunnyside Community Hospital cuts 10 jobs

2012-01-11T07:44:00.002+05:30

Sunnyside Community Hospital is forced to lay off several staff members to make up for state budget cuts.

The hospital had to lay off ten people, in addition the entire staff is required to take a 4.5% pay cut.

The hospital estimates a $5 million loss of revenue because of the state's budget cuts.

The layoff did not include any doctors or nurses, and the hospital says patient services won't be affected.

Source: KAPP TV

Bank of America Merrill Lynch to layoff 15 managing directors in Asia

2012-01-10T07:48:00.001+05:30

Bank of America Merrill Lynch is to lay off a fifth of its 75 managing directors in Asia as part of a reshuffle at the troubled US lender, according to people familiar with the matter.

The move is the latest in a round of job losses at investment banks, which come after performance reviews at the end of 2011. About 1,600 bankers at Morgan Stanley are due to leave the firm in the next two weeks.

BofA’s job losses are part of a wider shake-up in Asia under its corporate and investment banking chief Matthew Koder, who joined BofA from UBS last March. At the time, his boss Tom Montag said that the Asia-Pacific region “continues to be one of the most compelling growth opportunities” but the job cuts show BofA, like other banks in the region, is paring back.

In addition to the job cuts, which will see the exit of Michael Cho, co-head of Asian mergers and acquisitions, the regional team is being reorganised – junior analysts will no longer be grouped by corporate sector but pooled, a change being portrayed as making the team more nimble. BofA declined to comment.

The moves are separate to BofA’s “Project New BAC” reorganisation, its scheme to streamline the entire bank and cut costs, which was ordered by chief executive Brian Moynihan in the face of depressed earnings and protracted mortgage losses and litigation from its disastrous 2008 acquisition of Countrywide, the mortgage originator. Mr Moynihan is trying to convince investors that the bank is on course to meet tougher capital requirements.

The bank has already identified tens of thousands of job cuts it wants to make on the consumer side of the business.

BofA is due to announce fourth-quarter earnings next Thursday, the last big US bank to report in what is expected to be another depressed series of earnings.

Despite its continued problems, most analysts have higher price targets than Monday’s midday share price of $6.26 and only two out of 37 have a “sell” rating on the stock. With its vast footprint in the US, BofA is expected to perform well if the American economy strengthens and if it can draw a line under the billions of dollars of mortgage-related losses.

Source: FT

DSC Logistics cuts 130 jobs at Roanoke facility

2012-01-10T07:46:00.003+05:30

DSC Logistics Inc. plans to lay off 130 employees at its Roanoke facility.

The Des Plaines, Ill.-based company told the Texas Workforce Commission that it notified employees about the layoffs on Wednesday.

Verlyn Suderman, DSC vice president and general counsel, told the commission in a letter that a “significant loss of business affecting the facility” prompted the layoffs.

Suderman did not immediately respond to a phone message seeking more details.

In the letter, he said the affected employees are not unionized.

DSC Logistics' Roanoke facility is located at 300 Gateway Pkwy.

Source: Biz Journals

Nucor Corp to close Denton plant, 116 layoffs

2012-01-10T07:45:00.001+05:30

Nucor Corp. will shut down its plant in Denton as part of the closure of its Nuconsteel division.

The Charlotte, N.C.-based company notified the Texas Workforce Commission that the closure will result in 116 layoffs in Denton.

Nucor said in a news release that it is getting out of the business of fabricating light gauge steel framing.

The end of Nuconsteel also means the closure of a plant in Dallas, Georgia, the company said.

Donovan Marks, Nucor director of human resources, said in a letter to the Workforce Commission that the Denton layoffs will begin on Jan. 20 and could last several months as the plant is closed down.

He said that employees who are laid off before the 60-day notice period of March 5 will be entitled to continuation of pay and benefits.

Nucor reported net earnings of $134.1 million in 2010. The company’s shares were trading at $41.04 on Monday afternoon, down about a third of a percent for the day.

Source: Biz Journals

American Airlines axes Delhi and Burbank routes, 150 jobs cuts

2012-01-10T07:43:00.004+05:30

American Airlines parent AMR Corp. said it will lay off about 150 workers and stop flying to New Delhi and Burbank, Calif., to help cut costs.

American, whose parent filed for bankruptcy protection just after the travel-heavy Thanksgiving weekend, said it decided to shed about 45 full-time mechanic positions and about 105 fleet service clerk positions in response to events that happened before its Chapter 11 filing, including the loss of a U.S. Postal Service mail contract, the closing of a refurbishment shop in St. Louis and an October decision to trim the airline's winter schedule.

High fuel prices and a challenging global economic climate also prompted the company to cut its Chicago-to-New Delhi service effective March 1, pulling the airline out of that market. The airline said it will instead offer U.S. service to India through its oneworld partners.

Service from Dallas-Ft. Worth to Burbank, Calif., will stop Feb. 9, ending the carrier's service to the Los Angeles-area airport. American will continue to fly to the nearby Los Angeles International Airport.

American said it will continue to evaluate its operations to streamline its network and didn't rule out further service cuts.

Source: WSJ

Unilever layoffs dozens in Israel

2012-01-06T08:17:00.000+05:30

Unilever, the fourth largest food company in Israel, began the process of layoffs and reducing its workforce on Thursday. According to a company statement, "Unilever is continually looking at an internal streamlining processes. As part of this, the company is reducing staff by a few dozen employees out of total of 2,500."

The company is offering people who are approaching retirement age voluntary retirement program under preferential conditions. In addition, the process will include operational consolidation of the company's headquarters. The statement concluded, "We believe that these processes are another means of maintaining the strength of the company and its future."

Source: Israel National News