Nearly 600 Shopko employees will be out of a job by May

RACINE (CBS 58) -- More Shopko employees are losing their jobs. Stores in Kenosha, Racine and Sheboygan will close, which could cost nearly 600 people their jobs.

Shopko is closing 42 stores in our state. They filed 11 layoff notices with Wisconsin’s Department of Workforce Development, DWD, on Wednesday and shared that 578 Shopko employees will be out of work.

In a statement, DWD said they will provide services to employees who lose their jobs, like job search training and career fairs.

"To these and other workers recently affected by a layoff; Governor Evers and DWD stand by you, and we are ready to assist in every way we can,” DWD Official Caleb Frostman said.

With more and more brick and mortar stores closing across the nation, DWD is thinking about the future.

“With ever-changing consumer habits, retail workers are becoming more and more insecure in their employment, and today's announcement, along with last year's layoffs by Bon-Ton, demonstrate that we must champion policies that provide the workers of Wisconsin the ability to re-train as our economy continues to evolve,” Frostman said.

The company has been a Wisconsin staple for more than 50 years. For many Shopko shoppers in Racine, it’s just always been there for them.

“It's where my mom always took me shopping when I graduated college, I went to get all my college stuff,” Shopper Vanessa Kasulke said. “When I think of Wisconsin, I think of Culvers, I think of Shopko.”

Racine’s Shopko location will close in May.

“It's sad,” Kim Boscha said. “It's one of the many stores that have been closing in our Racine area so it's tough to see another one go.”