Nine companies reported possible job cuts to the state last month, but the firm responsible for the biggest number says they're almost all relocations, not layoffs.
Schaumburg-based Career Education Corp., said it is moving about 740 workers after a lease expired on its Downers Grove office space, prompting a move of facilities and employees.
"Nearly everyone" agreed to shift to other offices across the Chicago area, said Mark Spencer, the company's director of communications. "We just informed (the state) to comply with both the spirit and letter of the law," Mr. Spencer said.
Career Education, one of the largest for-profit college corporations in the country, owns 16 Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts campuses across the country and the Harrington College of Design in Chicago, among dozens of other schools. The company saw its revenue decline 20 percent in 2013, to $1.06 billion. At the end of 2012, the company said it would close 23 of its 90 schools in light of declining revenue and student enrollment.
Last year, Career Education settled a $10.25 million lawsuit with the state of New York, which alleged the company advertised false job placement rates.
Elsewhere, in a move already reported, agricultural equipment maker Deere & Co. will eliminate some 425 jobs at its East Moline factory, about 165 miles west of Chicago, because of waning demand. Last month, Deere said it would scale back production of its equipment because record crops are depressing grain prices and discouraging farmers from making big purchases.
Other job losses mentioned in the August report for the Illinois' Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, or WARN:
• In west suburban Schiller Park, 418 workers at Hostess Brands' bakery will lose their jobs when the bakery closes in October.
• About 170 employees will be laid off at FutureMark, a company in south suburban Alsip that makes coated paper for magazines and catalogs. "We're involved in a declining market," said Everett O'Neill, the company's vice president of operations. "We'd gotten to the point where our profit margin was essentially nonexistent."
• In Chicago, about 124 people may lose jobs with west suburban Wood Dale-based janitorial company Total Facility Maintenance Inc. The losses are the result of the Chicago Public Schools' decision to change its janitorial services provider, according to Wendy Gonzalez, Total Facility Maintenance's human resources director. Some employees may be able to be reassigned to other jobs, she said, though she could not say how many.
In March, Chicago Public Schools entered into a $260 million contract with Aramark to provide maintenance services in addition to its existing contract for food services.
• Another 28 people at Twin Cleaning Professionals Inc., headquartered in Maywood, will lose their janitorial jobs with CPS for the same reason.
• In downstate Murphysboro, some 109 RehabCare employees will be laid off because of a site closure. Louisville, Ky.-based RehabCare is the largest rehabilitation company in the country, offering nursing, home health and other forms of rehab care.
• Lake Forest-based Brunswick Corp. is shedding about 50 jobs. The company, which makes boats, fitness machines, and bowling and billiards equipment, sold its retail bowling business to Bowlmor AMF for $270 million earlier this year.
• About 41 people will lose jobs in Chicago with Invitation Homes, a Dallas-based owner and manager of renovated rental homes.