Rising Crime Puts Hundreds of New York Target Employees' Jobs at Risk
This week, Target today announced it was closing nine of its stores across the nation, blaming rising crime and the associated costs of attempting to curb theft.
The Target store in East Harlem on FDR Drive will close on October 21 due to ongoing theft and security issues leading to poor business performance of the store. The store opened ten years ago.
Target had invested in more security staff, used third-party guard services, and implemented theft-deterrent tools, but unfortunately, these strategies didn't work. Theft could cut Target's profits by over $500 million this year.
“We know that our stores serve an important role in their communities, but we can only be successful if the working and shopping environment is safe for all.” Target statement
Last month, Target CEO Brian Connell spoke about the impact of closing stores.
“We know how important our stores are. They create local jobs, they generate taxes, they’re very important for those local shoppers, and they play a critical role in communities across the country. We’ll continue to do everything in our power to keep our doors open. At the same time, we’ll be closely monitoring the safety of our team and guests as well as the financial impact to our business as we determine the right path forward at Target."
"I'm disappointed to hear it." NYPD Deputy Inspector Raul Maisonet.
Job losses
Under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, an employer with more than 100 full-time workers must provide a 60-day notice before laying off 50 or more people at a single site. Target has filed with the New York Department of Labor advising of layoffs.
The filing states that 293 employees working for Target in Harlem will be laid off. While the store will close on October 21, employees who don't transfer to another Target store will laid off and paid through until December 30.
Your thoughts
Are you disappointed to see these stores close? Do you believe retail crime is a significant problem in New York? What should the city do to fix the situation?
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