I haven’t been actively posting lately due to some job related stress.  The economic crunch has struck and the place where I work felt the squeeze with a round of layoffs.  The result has been stress and a whole lot more work to do.  Simi Valley workers will be affected as well.  This is from the San Fernando Valley Business Journal:

Farmers Insurance is transferring customer service jobs from its Simi Valley office to new facilities in three states.

The company has set an April 10 deadline for when up to 82 employees must decide to relocate to Austin, Olathe, KS, or Hillsboro, Ore. In total, 120 employees were notified back in October the jobs were moving and some have already gone to the new facilities

Those employees choosing not to leave California will receive a severance package, a company spokesman said.

On one hand, I want to be critical of Farmers for uprooting lives to save money, but I can’t.  Everyone is just starting to feel it and there’s likely more to come.  I worry about large employers in town relocating… the impact it will have on our local economy and real estate.

Farmers is one of the largest employers in Simi Valley, with more than 1,100 workers remaining in the office there. Farmers also has its primary claims facility in Westlake Village and a training office in Agoura Hills.

I still have a handful of projects in the works that I’m hoping will do a small part to connect employers with job seekers.