McDonald’s, General Electric Among Companies Announcing Layoffs in Illinois

McDonald’s said it is laying off 63 people at its suburban Chicago headquarters in Oak Brook, Ill., where it employs about 1,700 people. Those layoffs are set to start in February.

McDonald’s cuts are among 600 layoffs expected in coming months at Illinois companies that filed advance warning reports with the state.

Employers with more than 100 employees are required to give 60 days’ notice of possible layoffs under the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, known as the Warn Act, but only when a third of the workforce or more than 500 workers could be affected.

In a statement, McDonald’s said the layoffs are part of an effort to improve its financial performance. Sales at McDonald’s U.S. locations open at least 13 months haven’t increased since October 2013, and corporate sales and profits have missed Wall Street forecasts for three consecutive quarters.

General Electric, which is closing a motor plant in DeKalb, Ill., said it will shed 88 workers starting Jan. 30; 42 of those people will retire. The company said that the facility was not competitive and that motors will come from a supplier.

Chicago-based Durata Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical business, said it is laying off 68 workers beginning Feb. 20. Durata was acquired in November by Actavis, a pharmaceutical company based in Dublin.

Superior Health Linens, which provides products such as bedsheets, washcloths and robes to hospitals, nursing homes and clinics, said it is laying off 57 workers in Joliet, Ill.

Other companies that announced layoffs include Lia Sophia, which is ending operations by the end of February; Continental Furniture; and Olin Corp., a chemical manufacturer.

This article appeared in print in the January 8th, 2015 edition of Hamodia.