AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT ADVANCED MATERIALS

Santa Clara, California-based Applied Materials, a developer, manufacturer, and repair service for the equipment, software, and solutions used to make semiconductor chips, flat panel displays, and other electronics, has announced a 4% reduction in force, including 14 vice presidents.

The reduction will impact approximately 1,400 employees, including 350 layoffs in California's Bay Area.

CEO Gary Dickerson noted, “Automation, digitalization and geographic shifts are redefining our workforce needs and skill requirements. Now, at the end of the fiscal year, the company will take one coordinated workforce action, across all levels and groups, to accelerate implementation of these plans, while providing for appropriate and fair transition benefits for affected employees.”

Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life, nor promises of a bright future. We see good people being laid off through no fault of their own. Just because something terrible hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, at any time, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. While many employees can read the writing on the wall, why do most assume it’s targeted at someone else? Are you now wondering, Am I Next?

AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT TARGET (10/30/25)

OCTOBER 30, 2025 — Original post…

Minneapolis, Minnesota-based Target, a retail chain merchandiser, has announced a companywide 8% reduction in force.

The reduction will affect 1,800 corporate roles, including 1,000 layoffs and about 800 positions that will remain unfilled.

CEO Michael Fiddelke ...

Team,

This spring, we launched our enterprise acceleration efforts with a clear ambition: to move faster and simplify how we work to drive Target’s next chapter of growth. The truth is, the complexity we’ve created over time has been holding us back. Too many layers and overlapping work have slowed decisions, making it harder to bring ideas to life.

On Tuesday, we’ll share changes to our headquarters structure as an important step in accelerating how we work. This includes eliminating about 1,800 non-field roles — about 8% of our global HQ team. As we make these changes, I’m asking all U.S. HQ team members to work from home next week. Target in India and our other global teams will follow their in-office routines.

Decisions that affect our team are the most significant ones we make, and we never make them lightly. I know the real impact this has on our team, and it will be difficult. And, it’s a necessary step in building the future of Target and enabling the progress and growth we all want to see.

Adjusting our structure is one part of the work ahead of us. It will also require new behaviors and sharper priorities that strengthen our retail leadership in style and design and enable faster execution so we can:

Lead with merchandising authority;

Elevate the guest experience with every interaction; and

Accelerate technology to enable our team and delight our guests.

Put together, these changes set the course for our company to be stronger, faster and better positioned to serve guests and communities for many years to come.

Michael

Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life, nor promises of a bright future. We see good people being laid off through no fault of their own. Just because something terrible hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, at any time, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. While many employees can read the writing on the wall, why do most assume it’s targeted at someone else? Are you now wondering, Am I Next?

AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT MINNESOTA PAVING & MATERIALS

Rogers, Minnesota-based Minnesota Paving and Materials, a distributor of construction materials, including asphalt and ready-mixed concrete, and a provider of construction and paving services, has announced the closure of all its Minnesota facilities.

The closure will impact 297 Minnesota employees, including quality control technicians, equipment operators, truck drivers, accountants, plant superintendents, forepersons, mechanics, safety managers, and other roles across administrative, construction, and operations teams. The separations are scheduled for December 19, 2025.

The fourteen Minnesota facilities slated for closure are located in Becker, Comfrey, Kasota, Lakeland, Mankato, New Ulm, Owatonna, Rogers, Rosemount, St. Cloud, and Waite Park.

Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life, nor promises of a bright future. We see good people being laid off through no fault of their own. Just because something terrible hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, at any time, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. While many employees can read the writing on the wall, why do most assume it’s targeted at someone else? Are you now wondering, Am I Next?