Hahn Wants County to Assist 99 Cents Only Store Workers

NATIONAL — In response to news that the 99 Cents Only Stores will close all 371 of its locations nationwide, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn is preparing for the county to step in to assist impacted workers.

“I am worried about the thousands of 99 Cents Store workers across LA County who are going to lose their jobs, but LA County is ready to help ,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn. “We have a department that can step in during an event like this and help workers with not only short-term assistance to get through this difficult time, but job training and support to help them get a better job.”

99 Cents Only is headquartered in the City of Commerce in Hahn’s district and has stores across Los Angeles County. Nationwide, the closures are expected to impact 14,000 workers across three states.

On April 9, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will vote on a proposal by Hahn to direct the Department of Economic Opportunity and the Department of Consumer and Business Affairs  to report back in 60 days in writing with an action plan to assist the employees from 99 Cents Only Stores with Rapid Response and other services, including enhanced job training, job placement, and connection to stabilizing resources.

The proposal is modeled off of a recent county success story in Hahn’s district. When Farmer John announced it would close its meatpacking plant in Vernon, Hahn directed county resources to assisting workers.  The Department of Economic Opportunity launched a comprehensive effort in partnership with labor to train impacted workers and connect them with better-paying in-demand jobs in the food and hospitality industries.