Jobs lost at Sallie Mae, J.C. Penney

[OhioChick]

Source: Timesleader

Friday, January 18, 2008 8:57 A.M.
More than 300 lose jobs with closing of J.C. Penney call center and layoffs at Sallie Mae.

The J.C. Penney call center in Moosic will close in March, eliminating 275 jobs, the company said Thursday.

The last day for the center, which handles sales for the retailer’s catalog, will be March 28, said Tim Lyons, a J.C. Penney spokesman in Plano, Texas. The full-time and part-time employees were notified Thursday. The company will provide severance packages to eligible employees.

“The closing is primarily the result of the reduction in call volume throughout our network,” Lyons said.

More people are going online to shop, he added.

J.C. Penney’s six other call centers – in Pittsburgh; Grand Rapids, Mich.; Sacramento, Calif.; Albuquerque, N.M.; Richmond, Va., and Columbus, Ohio – will remain open.

The local office near Montage Mountain opened in 1988, Lyons said. The lease on the building ends this year, but Lyon said he was not sure if the date coincided with the center’s closing.

Farther south in Luzerne County, one of the region’s major employers said it was reducing its workforce as it attempts to survive in a turbulent lending climate.

Student loan provider SLM Corp., known as Sallie Mae, is laying off 40 of its 850-person staff at its payment processing center in Hanover Industrial Estates.





Read more: http://www.timesleader.com/business/20080118_18_layoffs_biz_ART.html

---

Closing call centers.....Wonder where they'll eventually show up?

[flasoapbox]

1. But, but, but...

Bush says the economy's doing real well! Obviously this article is in error.

[flashl]

2. Wonder how the VA will deny disable vets disability claims ...

Using call centers as meaningful employment, in the past, VA have denied vets unemployability claims.

And, the increasing reports of layoffs explain why the proposed economic stimulus package includes increased unemployment benefits.

[ursi]

3. JCPenney's must be breaching for big costs associated with its recent data breach

650,000 customers information missing...

http://origin.contracostatimes.com/technology/ci_8000668?nclick_check=1