Sears plans more layoffs
Hoffman Estates-based Sears Holdings said a group of employees were told Wednesday they would be part of a wave of layoffs, but would not confirm the total.
While positions were being eliminated here, other new positions are being created to support Sears' retail strategy, said company spokesman Chris Brathwaite.
"We expect that once the process is completed over the next two to six months, we'll have as many, if not more associates, than we currently do right now based on the number of new positions that have been added to our HQ since January," Brathwaite said.
He would not provide an estimated number of affected workers. But some unconfirmed reports have put the total at about 200. Brathwaite said those affected workers would have an opportunity to apply for the new positions. The company had about 6,200 workers based here, but Brathwaite could not confirm the current workforce numbers late Wednesday.
The struggling parent of retailers Sears and Kmart continues to trim its workforce and close stores, even after reporting a profit last week.
Many of the closures came after the company inked a deal last December with the state of Illinois to get about $275 million in tax breaks over more than a decade and vowed to keep its headquarters in Hoffman Estates.
Still, the cuts have not been a total surprise since the company said last year it would cut about $200 million in costs in 2012.
In February, Sears said it would close another round of stores, with many having 80 or more workers per store.
A spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity could not immediately comment.