Illinois companies report layoffs of 14,100 workers in March

Businesses in Illinois notified state officials of about 14,100 layoffs in March at more than 190 locations, according to a report released Friday by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. The overwhelming number of closings was in the Chicago area.

The monthly layoff reports typically include a few companies. The March version, coupled with data on state unemployment filings and the rising rate of joblessness, registers the early impact on the economy from the coronavirus. Almost all the companies reporting layoffs cited COVID-19 as the reason.

The list was dominated by hotels, restaurants and fitness clubs. Trump International Hotel & Tower said it was cutting 294 jobs at its Chicago location. The InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile reported 350 layoffs.

The largest single reported layoff was a plant closing of Fabrik Molded Plastics in McHenry, costing 600 jobs. But a spokeswoman for the commerce department said late Friday that the listing was an error and that Fabrik will be removed from the report.

Other layoffs or closings were reported businesses or franchise sites such as: California Pizza Kitchens, Xsport Fitness, Barrington Orthopedics, Greyhound Lines, Hooters Restaurants, Onni Properties, Paper Source, Skender Manufacturing, Gerber Collision & Glass and YMCAs in the Joliet region. Some of the layoffs were identified as temporary.

The state notices are filed under the WARN act, or the Illinois Worker Adjustment and Retraining Act. It applies to companies with at least 75 full-time employees. They generally must give 60-day notice of job cuts if they apply to 25 or more people and constitute at least a third of the workforce, or any layoff of at least 250 people. The notice requirement is waived for business emergencies.