#Kohl’s axes 15 percent of corporate jobs amid COVID-19 pandemic

Kohl’s said it has slashed about 15 percent of its corporate jobs as it grapples with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Wisconsin-based retailer expects to save about $65 million a year as a result of the reductions disclosed Tuesday, which are part of a cost-cutting plan that aims to slash more than $100 million in annual expenses.

Kohl’s did not reveal how many workers were affected by the cuts. The company had about 37,000 full-time staffers and 87,000 part-time associates last year, according to its most recent annual report.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced Kohl’s to close all of its stores and furlough 85,000 store and distribution workers in March. The company said its net profits tumbled more than 80 percent year-over-year to $47 million in the quarter ending Aug. 1 even though its stores had reopened and most sidelined workers had returned by that date.

Kohl’s announced the job cuts amid a wave of retail bankruptcies sparked by the virus. Big-name chains including J.Crew, JCPenney, Neiman Marcus and Brooks Brothers have all filed for bankruptcy in recent months.

Kohl’s shares were up 0.2 percent in premarket trading Wednesday at $23.18 as of 8:21 a.m. following a 1 percent drop in the stock price Tuesday.