Available Chicago Jobs Cut
Finding an available Chicago job has been more difficult lately. The city’s unemployment rate jumped again in October, rising 0.3 percent from 6.6 to 6.9 percent. Illinois as a whole also saw an increase last month, as the jobless rate went from 6.9 to 7.3 percent, according to the state Department of Employment Security. National unemployment is currently 6.5 percent.
In a recent press release Sara Lee Corp. announced that it will shutting down its kosher hot dog and meat processing plant in the city. The doors are expected to close on or before the end of next January. Sara Lee’s decision to no longer make these meat products is expected to cost 185 Chicago jobs. The brands that will be discontinued include Best’s Kosher, Sinai Kosher, Shofar and Wilno.On top of this, Sara Lee will be closing the doors to the Sinai Kosher outlet store that is located on the premises of its Chicago facility. The jobs effected by this were mostly included in the 185 positions to be cut in the area.
The company began considering the discontinuation of the operation back in July, but did not state which facility would be closed. Instead it simply announced it’s “decision to close a production facility in North America.”
“The decision was made after careful consideration of our strategic, long-term plan, which focuses on categories where we have a strategic competitive advantage,” said Sara Lee Corp.’s chief operating officer, CJ Fraleigh. “We value the contributions made by our employees and are working to help them prepare for the future by providing severance and outplacement assistance.”
After doing away with the Chicago jobs and closing the facility, Sara Lee plans on decommissioning all of the plant’s equipment. After this the company plans to put the property up for sale.