Ahead Of Labor Day, More Layoffs May Be On The Way
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Heading into the Labor Day weekend, we're learning which workers in the Chicago area will be next to lose their jobs.
CBS 2 Investigator Megan Hickey digs into new numbers from the state where the majority are permanent cuts.
There were just under 2,000 layoff notices in the state's August report, about 97% impact the Chicagoland area.
While the airline industry announced thousands of layoffs in July, the trickle down impact, particularly in Chicago, continued in August.
Two airline food service companies Sky Chefs in Des Plaines & Flying Food Group in Schiller Park announced a combined 400+ permanent layoffs that will take effect on October 1.
The Lincolnshire Marriott Resort announced 240 permanent layoffs as of October 30. Employment analyst Andy Challenger said there is a definite slowing of renewed layoffs.
"Some people are coming back to jobs that were immediately closed due to the COVID-19 crisis," Challenger said. "But that doesn't mean there's not still some destruction of jobs. We're seeing certain industries and certain jobs are still at very high risk.
Chicago area locations for delivery service Scoobeez & RR Donnelly are making large permanent cuts too.
Perhaps the most surprising?
Northfield-based Medline Industries announced 190 permanent layoffs at their Mundelein location beginning October 23.
The medical equipment sterilization company stepped in big at the beginning of the pandemic, transitioning its operations to sterilize N-95 masks and send them out to medical providers.
But Challenger said that while the medical industry as a whole has been buried with work through the pandemic...
"Really, COVID-19 has changed the revenue models for these organizations. They're not operating as heavily in some of their highest revenue producing products or services," Challenger said. "And that's causing medical industry companies to have to change some of their personnel."
Challenger cautions that the reports can be very volatile from month to month. The Illinois Department of Commerce said August's report shows a major improvement over last month but warned that it's only a snapshot of anticipated layoffs across the state.