The Sword Master G ij,j =0 Thoth Unveiling How businesses and manufactures are closing daily and the jobless rate rising in the U.S.

A compiled list of notable U.S. companies and major business closures that have occurred or been announced in 2025 (including full shutdowns, bankruptcies that resulted in closures, and major liquidation events) based on verified reporting: (Wikipedia)Business Insider

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• TheStreet
• Women’s Wear Daily
• TheFW

Companies That Closed Doors Entirely or Announced Permanent Shutdowns

These are businesses that have ceased operations or are effectively out of business in the U.S. in 2025:

Full Company Closures / Bankruptcies

• Forever 21 – Filed for Chapter 11 and closed all U.S. stores by ~May 1, 2025 after failing to find a buyer. (Wikipedia)
• News Media Corporation (NMC) – Family-owned U.S. newspaper publisher closed all operations in August 2025. (Wikipedia)
• Conscious Content Media – Parent of Begin Learning filed Chapter 11 in December 2025 (status bankruptcy process). (The Sun)
• iRobot – The Roomba maker filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy; U.S. business restructuring with acquisition by a robotics firm (effectively ending the company’s independent operations). (The Verge)
• American Signature Inc. / Value City Furniture – Filed Chapter 11 and permanently closed at least 23+ stores with auctions underway. (The Sun)
• Sunnova Energy – Solar company filed Chapter 11 in June 2025 and effectively wound down operations after asset sale. (Houston Chronicle)
• Retail Chains with Widespread Permanent Closures

These companies didn’t necessarily shut down entirely nationwide (some still operate online or in part), but closed many or all physical locations in 2025:

• Joann Fabrics (Jo-Ann) – Filed Chapter 11; all 800 stores closed nationwide after failing to find a buyer. (Wikipedia)
• Claire’s – Announced closure of approx. 700 locations and Icing brand shut down. (Wikipedia)
• At Home – Filed for bankruptcy and closed dozens of stores during restructuring. (Wikipedia)
• Party City – Permanently closing all stores after ~40 years of operation. (Economy Insights)
• Retail Chains With Major Store Closures (partial) – Not full shutdowns but significant exits include Macy’s (66 closures in 2025), Kohl’s (27+ closures), and others downsizing extensively. (LiveNOW)
• Walgreens – Closed ~500 stores during 2025 as part of a multi-year optimization plan (not a full company closure). (The Sun)

Other Notable Business Shutdowns

Some large legacy or regional businesses closed operations or assets in 2025:

• 79-year-old national trucking firm – A major contract trucking company (unnamed by national press) shut down and laid off ~2,000 employees. (TheStreet)
• Local & regional small businesses – Numerous independent shops, restaurants, and service businesses (e.g., Eberhard Lumber, Faust Brewing Co., Las Fontanas in New Braunfels, TX) closed in 2025 due to retirements or economic pressures. (MySA)
• Tuskers Home Store & Furniture Outlet (Florida) – Permanently closing after nearly two decades. (The Sun)

Important Notes

Not All Closures Are Full Company Shutdowns

Some closures are store-by-store shutdowns rather than a complete business closure (e.g., Macy’s, Kohl’s, Walgreens, Starbucks). These companies continue operating overall but reduced their footprint drastically in 2025. (LiveNOW)

 Local Closures vs National Shutdowns

There are many local or regional business closures (restaurants, small retailers) that are not easily compiled into a national list — those typically are reported at the city/state level and reflect individual business decisions rather than corporate bankruptcy.

Some Filings Still in Process

Bankruptcy (Chapter 11/Chapter 7) filings — like for Conscious Content Media or iRobot — don’t instantly mean a company is gone; they are often in the process of restructuring or being acquired

Summary (2025 U.S.)

Here’s a quick list of some major companies/business operations that shut down or closed stores permanently in 2025:

Closed Entire U.S. Business or All Stores

• Forever 21 (nationwide closure) (Wikipedia)
• News Media Corporation (newspaper company) (Wikipedia)
• Joann Fabrics (all stores) (Wikipedia)
• Party City (national chain closure) (Economy Insights)

Bankruptcy/Shutdowns Resulting in Major Closures

• iRobot (bankruptcy & acquisition restructuring) (The Verge)
• American Signature Inc./Value City Furniture (store closures) (The Sun)
• Sunnova Energy (solar co. bankruptcy) (Houston Chronicle)

Major Store Footprint Reductions (partial closures)

• Claire’s (hundreds of stores) (Wikipedia)
• At Home (store closures) (Wikipedia)
• Macy’s (multiple stores) (LiveNOW)
• Kohl’s (multiple store shutdowns) (LiveNOW)
• Walgreens (500+ closures) (The Sun)

A breakdown of notable U.S. business closures in 2025 organized by industry, whether they were due to bankruptcy vs. voluntary closures, and estimated job losses tied to those closures — based on the latest public reporting and data:

• Business Insider
• Reuters
• Reuters
• Reuters
• TheStreet
• Reuters
• Houston Chronicle
• The Sun

1) Retail Industry

 Bankruptcies (Full/Partial Liquidation)

Total Retail Bankruptcies (partial or full): Multiple chains, with several thousand jobs impacted

Industry Footprint Reductions (No Bankruptcy)

• Independent and local retail closures: Numerous small independent retailers also exited, but most aren’t captured centrally.

Overall retail closures: According to industry analysts, thousands of physical stores have closed or are slated to close in 2025 across multiple brands (Coresight projects up to ~15,000 closures total for the year). (Reddit

2) Restaurants & Food Service

These closures are not bankruptcies, but strategic downsizing tied to changing consumer demand and cost pressures

3) Manufacturing & Industrial

• These are industrial facility closures or shutdowns of locations, not full corporate bankruptcies.

4) Tech & Consumer Goods

Summary: Closures vs Job Losses in 2025

Retail

• Bankruptcy closures:
  • Forever 21 – approx. hundreds laid off. (Wikipedia)
  • Rite Aid – thousands when stores closed and assets sold. (Reuters)
  • Claire’s – ~2,000+ jobs at risk. (Wikipedia)
  • Value City Furniture – dozens to low hundreds. (The Sun)
• Strategic non-bankruptcy closures:
  • Macy’s, Kohl’s, Walgreens, Dollar General, etc. — likely thousands of jobs lost due to store cuts. (LiveNOW)
• Estimated total retail job impacts:
  → Low-to-mid-five figures from bankruptcies + mid-to-high five figures from store closures.

Restaurants

• Not bankruptcies but downsizing — hundreds of jobs from cafe and diner closures. (LiveNOW)

🏭 Manufacturing / Industrial

• Plant shutdowns (Westlake, Tyson) — hundreds of jobs impacted. (Houston Chronicle)

Tech & Consumer Goods

• iRobot bankruptcy — ~274 known jobs at risk from bankruptcy context. (Reuters)
• Other tech layoffs occurred but do not constitute closures. (Business Insider)

Notes on Estimates

✅ Bankruptcy closures usually come with more clear job loss figures because legal filings and WARN notices may list employees affected.
❌ Voluntary store closures (e.g., Macy’s shutting individual stores) don’t always publish a centralized job loss count, so estimates are based on typical store staffing levels.
📊 Total 2025 store closures are projected to be historically high (analysts estimate up to ~15,000 closures for the year), which implies broader job impacts beyond the largest chains. (Reddit)

This is a current, evidence-based overview of manufacturing plant closures and layoffs in the United States in 2025 — including notable companies, types of closures, and estimated job impacts where available.

1. Major Manufacturing Plant Closures & Layoffs in 2025

Food & Beverage Manufacturing

Several major food producers have announced closures and layoffs in 2025:

• PepsiCo / Frito-Lay plant closures — PepsiCo is shutting multiple Frito-Lay manufacturing facilities across the U.S. (Florida, California, New York) as part of a cost-cutting restructuring in response to weakening snack demand and higher costs. One closure in Orlando will lay off ~454 plant workers, plus ~46 warehouse jobs, and earlier the Liberty, NY facility closure laid off ~287 employees. (foodingredientsfirst.com)
• Perdue Farms turkey processing layoffs — Nearly 300 workers at an Indiana turkey plant lost the second shift as production was reduced in response to shifting demand and flock declines. (GEEKSPIN)
• Post Holdings shutdowns — Two cereal manufacturing plants (Nevada + Ontario) are closing with a combined impact of about 300 jobs eliminated. (GEEKSPIN)

👉 These closures reflect broader cost pressures and changing consumer patterns in food manufacturing. (Food Dive)

Packaging & Industrial Plants

• Packaging Corporation of America (PCA) — Salisbury, NC plant scheduled to close, laying off ~108 workers. (https://www.wbtv.com)
• Various packaging manufacturers (EPS foam, corrugated boxes) announced 1,000+ layoffs in October 2025 across different facilities. (Packaging Dive)

Other Factory Closures & Layoffs

From broader industry reporting:

• Milgard Windows & Doors (Ventura, CA) is closing a manufacturing plant and laying off ~397 workers. (Manufacturing Dive)
• Owens Corning insulation plant (Utah) cut 67 jobs and closed the facility; its Oregon door components plant closure led to 184 layoffs. (plantservices.com)
• SPS Technologies (aerospace contractor) laid off ~251 workers after a factory fire damaged the Pennsylvania facility. (Manufacturing Dive)

Chemical Manufacturing

• Westlake Corporation is shutting down multiple Gulf Coast chemical plants, laying off ~295 employees due to market pressures and overcapacity. (Chron)
• Ineos plans to close its Addyston, Ohio engineering plastics plant, laying off ~82 workers (with cuts continuing into 2026). (Manufacturing Dive)
• Merck Pharmaceutical plant closure — Riverside, PA announced layoffs of ~163 employees, with phases extending into 2026. (plantservices.com)

Automotive & EV Manufacturing

Manufacturing layoffs in the automotive sector have been significant due to EV demand shifts and strategic restructuring:

• General Motors (GM) will cut staffing at its Factory ZERO EV line in Detroit (~1,200 jobs starting early 2026), and pause battery output affecting ~2,100 jobs in related Ohio and Tennessee facilities. (Manufacturing Dive)
• Automakers have reduced EV output and shifted strategy (e.g., Ford re-evaluating EV lines). (Reuters)

(Note: some GM and Ford layoffs are slated for early 2026 due to announced timing, but they stem from 2025 strategy shifts and WARN filings.) (Manufacturing Dive)

Chip & Electronics Manufacturing

• Wolfspeed (North Carolina) plans job cuts (cutting ~180 positions) tied to cost reductions and facility closures. (Manufacturing Dive)
• Manufacturing sector as a whole saw ~329,000 job separations in October 2025, indicating broader turnover and layoffs across the industry. (Manufacturing Dive)

2. Estimated Job Losses (2025 Manufacturing Impact)

Below are approximate totals based on reported closures and layoffs. Keep in mind that these figures are partial and do not capture every layoff:

*Note: GM layoffs span late 2025 into early 2026 based on announcements and WARN notices. (Manufacturing Dive)

Estimated 2025 manufacturing layoffs and closures (partial aggregate): ~7,000+ jobs directly tied to known plant closures and major layoffs (excluding broader separations, smaller layoffs, and indirect supply chain impacts).

3. Broader Manufacturing Trends in 2025

Factors Driving Plant Closures & Layoffs

Industry observers and data indicate several structural pressures in 2025:

• Shifting consumer demand (e.g., reduced snack sales leading to Frito-Lay closures). (foodingredientsfirst.com)
• Overcapacity and global competition in chemicals and packaging. (Chron)
• Automotive EV market uncertainty and policy changes affecting U.S. production plans. (Reuters)
• Weaker overall manufacturing activity, with job separations rising (BLS turnover data). (Manufacturing Dive)
• Regional WARN filings show recurring layoffs in state manufacturing sectors. (DOL)

4. Manufacturing vs Other Layoff Data

Unlike corporate layoffs in sectors like tech or retail (often reported centrally and frequently), manufacturing layoffs and closures are tracked through a mix of:

• WARN notices (for closures/major layoffs)
• Company press releases or filings
• BLS turnover and separation data
• Local and state employment reports

This means there isn’t a single consolidated manufacturing layoffs number yet for 2025 — but the job impacts from closures and major plant layoffs we do know already show significant workforce effects across multiple sub-industries.