Employment


Hallmark CEO Takes Pay Cut, HQ Hours Reduced

Hallmark CEO Mike Perry will reportedly take a 20 percent pay cut as the company grapples with the impact of COVID-19, as will other executives at the global Kansas City-based company. At the same time, workers' hours have been cut at… more

Q&A with: Clyde McQueen, Full Employment Council

“I think lot of innovation will come out of this,” says Clyde McQueen, CEO of the Full Employment Council in Kansas City. Until then, business will continue to feel unprecedented pain, he says, but he cautions against taking short-term actions… more

Employment Falls By 700,000 in March

Total payroll employment in March fell by 701,000 primarily due to COVID-19, according to a recent Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report, and the unemployment rate hit 4.4 percent, up 0.9 percent from the previous month. That marks the biggest… more

Banks Cleared to Make Relief Loans

Federal relief for small businesses slammed with cash-flow challenges during the COVID-19 recession has begun flowing, as banks have the green light to begin making loans under the CARES Act’s Paycheck Protection Program. PPP has set aside $349 billion for… more

Unemployment Claims Unfortunately Break More Records

The unemployment picture in the United States has gotten a lot more grim, due to COVID-19 shock waves. For the week ended March 28, unemployment claims hit 6.448 million, a new record since the numbers have been tracked by the… more

COVID-Driven Cost Cuts Hit Stormont Vail Salaries 

Robert Kenagy, CEO of Stormont Vail Health, has issued a note to employees regarding salary cuts at one of the region's largest medical centers while it copes with the costs of fighting the COVID-19 virus. In an email sent Tuesday… more

Mayor Lucas Gets Serious About Social Distancing

Mayor Lucas is getting more serious about social distancing in Kansas City, In an interview today with radio station KCUR, Lucas said that he has seen kids playing basketball games and heard of people having backyard house parties with more… more

KUMC’s Steve Stites on COVID-19 Challenges

As COVID-19 spreads across the nation, local healthcare organizations are talking about how to share resources and are hopeful that if residents heed their advice, the greater metro area will have the resources to help those needing hospitalization. “As we… more

Hospital Execs: The Next Week Will Be Big

A week into the stay-at-home directive from local governments, officials from the University of Kansas Health System said Tuesday morning that the coming week could be determinative in the fight against spread of the COVID-19 virus. Steven Stites, the hospital's… more

Apparel Retailers Feel COVID-19 Pain

At least two national retailers with a significant presence in the Kansas City area are furloughing most of their workers in anticipation that they will need to keep their stores closed longer than they had previously planned. Macy's, with six… more