Sears announces more layoffs amid store closures

Sears has laid off 200 workers at its corporate office as the company continues to suffer from declining sales and the closures of stores over the last several months.

The newest layoffs affect the Sears Holdings corporate offices in Hoffman Estates, Ill., according to a note from CEO Eddie Lampert that CNBC obtained.

“As we work to advance our strategic transformation, we all know that we must return the company to profitability in order to retain the confidence of our constituents,” Lampert said in the note. “This means continuing to look at ways to streamline our operations while staying focused on our Best Members, Best Categories and Best Stores.”

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Sears also cut 220 jobs from its corporate office in January, for a total 420 corporate layoffs this year.

These layoffs come amid announcements of about 100 Sears closures across the nation. No Sears stores in the region were shuttered, but other stores in Ohio including Cincinnati, Lima, Strongsville and Youngstown made the closure list.

The Illinois-based company took a $424 million first-quarter loss this year.

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“We continue to fight every day to improve the performance of Sears Holdings,” Lampert said.

Sears has several locations in the Miami Valley, including anchor stores at the Dayton Mall, the Mall at Fairfield Commons and the Miami Valley Centre Mall in Piqua. There are more than 50 in Ohio.

Sears Holdings also operates Kmart. All local Kmart stores have closed.

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