More N.J. Companies Announce Layoffs, Store Closures

Several major companies have announced store closings and layoffs in New Jersey that will leave hundreds without work.

Over the past week, Jersey City Medical Center, Express Scripts, NRG Energy Inc. and HHGregg were among the companies that said they're laying people off or will close stores, which will lead to layoffs.

Earlier this year, Toys R Us, Macy's, Progresso Soup and Carrabba's/Bonefish Grill also said they're laying people off or will close stores.

The decisions come after several retailers, restaurants and others reported lagging business, particularly during the holiday season when sales at Macy's and elsewhere fell short of expectations. Or they're dealing with restructuring and consolidation to save money.

Here is what is happening:

• Express Scripts: The St. Louis-based pharmacy benefits manager, which has about 3,100 New Jersey employees, will be eliminating 66 work-at-home positions supporting the company’s front-end pharmacy operations, according to NJBIZ. Brian Henry, vice president for corporate communications, told NJBIZ via email that the company "will be able to more effectively meet the needs of our clients and members by consolidating work." The affected workers were notified Feb. 22, and would be paid for 60 days after the announcement.
• HHGregg: The appliance and electronics retailer is planning to close 88 of its weakest stores in 15 states, and close three distribution centers. The closings will be completed by mid-April and result in about 1,500 layoffs. Those stores include ones in New Jersey, according to The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
• NRG Energy: The company has given workers notice that it is laying off 65 employees in its New Jersey-based home solar unit. The changes are part of a nationwide overhaul of the NRG Home Solar unit first announced last May, NRG told NJBIZ.
• Jersey City Medical Center: The hospital, which is part of the RWJBarnabas Health System, is reducing its workforce, it told NJBIZ. The hospital said it is also reorganizing its staff, reassigning some personnel and eliminating some positions through attrition. JCMC would not reveal the number of employees who could lose their jobs, though a spokeswoman told NJBIZ it was less than 100.

Earlier this year, these companies announced layoffs and closures:

• Macy’s: Macy's has announced it will close 34 more stores in 2017, just months after announcing that 66 stores will close. Stores in Moorestown, Voorhees and Wayne are set to shut their doors, but the new locations have not been identified. Read more here....
• Add Kmart to the list of companies that's closing numerous department stores nationwide - including four in New Jersey - as part of a large downsizing. Read more here...
• Progresso Soup: General Mills plans to close its Vineland manufacturing facility, which will put about 370 employees out of work, the company said Monday. That facility, which makes Progresso soup products, is expected to close by the first quarter of fiscal 2018. The Vineland facility has been operated by General Mills since 2001, according to a company news release. Read more here...
• Bonefish Grill and Carrabba's: The restaurant chain has closed at least five New Jersey locations. The decision to close Bonefish Grill and Carrabba's was made at the corporate level, a spokeswoman for the corporate chain told Patch. "Closing a restaurant is a difficult decision. It was based purely on business circumstances and has no reflection on employees or their service," said Elizabeth Watts, a spokeswoman for Bloomin' Brands. Read more here....
• Toys R Us: About 250 people at the Toys R Us headquarters on Geoffrey Way have been laid off. The layoffs were announced before the North American International Toy Fair at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York City, The Wall Street Journal reported. Amy Von Walter, a spokeswoman for Toys R Us, told Forbes that, "The recent changes are not just about cost-containment — our growth plans require us to have the right structure, talent and determination to transform our business and achieve the financial objectives we've set for the company." Read more here...
• North Jersey Media Group, which publishes The Record and the Herald News, announced in January that 141 employees will receive layoff notices. The company reported the layoffs on its website, NorthJersey.com. North Jersey Media Group announced last year that 426 employees will receive notices required by New Jersey state law when "mass layoffs are imminent."

Patch file photo