2 Ohio Companies Announce Layoffs To Start December

CINCINNATI, OH — At least two major Ohio companies announced plans to layoff workers in recent weeks.

Prairie Farms are shuttering their milk processing plant in Marietta and all of its substations. All employees will be permanently laid off by New Year's Eve, the company said in a letter filed with the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services.

"We expect the layoff to be permanent and to affect the entire facility," the company wrote in its letter. "We expect to lay off all employees on Dec. 31, 2021."

Similarly, OneTouchPoint in Cincinnati is closing its facility on Western Avenue and laying off 65 employees, the company announced in its state filing. Layoffs started Dec. 1 and will continue through Jan. 31, when the location is shuttered.

Finally, Watsonville Community Hospital filed a layoff warning with the state on Nov. 29. The California-based organization is laying off more than 650 employees, including one worker in Ohio.

• OneTouchPoint in Cincinnati — 65 employees
• Prairie Farms Dairy across Ohio — 117 employees
• Watsonville Community Hospital in California — 658 employees overall, 1 employee in Ohio

To see all the recent mass layoff announcements, visit the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services' website.

Ohio's unemployment rate increased between Nov.28 and Dec. 4, according to newly released data. Initial jobless claims jumped to 9,302 during that week, up from 7,519 the week before. Ohio's unemployment rate is 5.1 percent, while the nation's unemployment rate is 4.6 percent.