AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES

Dallas, Texas-based Southwest Airlines, a low-cost airline, has announced that it will stop service at Syracuse Hancock International Airport in upstate New York, Bellingham International Airport in Washington state, Cozumel International Airport in Mexico, and George Bush Intercontinental in Houston and reduce service to Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International and Chicago’s O’Hare International.

As a result of these route changes, the airline plans to lay off 2,000+ employees.

According to Bob Jordan, President and Chief Executive Officer...

"While it is disappointing to incur a first quarter loss, we exited the quarter with healthy profits and margins in the month of March. We are focused on controlling what we can control and have already taken swift action to address our financial underperformance and adjust for revised aircraft delivery expectations.

Achieving our financial goals is an immediate imperative. The recent news from Boeing regarding further aircraft delivery delays presents significant challenges for both 2024 and 2025. We are reacting and replanning quickly to mitigate the operational and financial impacts while maintaining dependable and reliable flight schedules for our Customers.

To improve our financial performance, we have intensified our network optimization efforts to address underperforming markets. Consequently, we have made the difficult decision to close our operations at Bellingham International Airport, Cozumel International Airport, Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport, and Syracuse Hancock International Airport. I want to sincerely thank our Employees, the airports, and the communities for all their incredible support over the years.

Additionally, we are evaluating options to enhance our Customer Experience as we study product preferences and expectations, including onboard seating and our cabin. And, we are implementing cost control initiatives, including limiting hiring and offering voluntary time off programs. We now expect to end 2024 with approximately 2,000 fewer Employees as compared with the end of 2023."

Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life or promises for a bright future. We see good people being laid off through no fault of their own. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?

AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT PUBLISHERS CLEARING HOUSE

Jericho, New York-based Publishers Clearing House, a direct marketer of merchandise and periodicals and famed for its big-dollar give-away contests, has announced it is discontinuing its mail-order commercial business which will result in the layoff of 156 employees at its Jericho, New York, headquarters. Layoffs will commence in July 2024.

As collateral damage, St. Cloud, Minnesota-based Fulfillment Distribution Center, a mail-order fulfillment services provider, plans to lay off 350 employees after losing its decades-long contract with Publishers Clearing House, its sole customer. Layoffs are scheduled between July 19, 2024, and February 28, 2025.

According to a company statement, “The layoffs are a strategic response to the reality of heightened postal, shipping, and supply chain costs along with the ongoing challenges that emerged from the post-pandemic world. This difficult decision comes after exhaustive analysis and careful consideration of PCH’s operational realities and the need to prioritize resources in areas for growth moving forward. These reductions allow the company to focus resources away from our commerce program and on our primary growth strategy of leveraging PCH’s core strengths and competitive advantages of providing consumers with free-to-play digital entertainment and games while delivering identity and data-driven advertising solutions for advertisers, consumer researchers, data and ad tech companies.”

Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life or promises for a bright future. We see good people being laid off through no fault of their own. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?

AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT CNH INDUSTRIAL

Amsterdam, Netherlands-based CNH Industrial, a designer, manufacturer, and seller of agricultural and construction equipment, has announced a company-wide reorganization and cost-reduction initiative that has resulted in the layoff of employees in its Case New Holland tractor factory in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin. The work is said to be outsourced to a Mexican facility.

The closure will impact 220 employees, with even more layoffs being contemplated.

Some believe it is a response to the company's previous troubles with its unionized workforce, including a nine-month strike.

Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life or promises for a bright future. We see good people being laid off through no fault of their own. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?