BCN-20230907-TRACYCITY-06.JPG Image Breakdown Long Description: The image depicts a large bronze statue of a man standing on a round, rust-colored pedestal in the middle of a roundabout. The man, dressed in traditional farming attire with a hat, holds a bundle of wheat under his left arm. His right hand is raised to his head, possibly tipping his hat. The pedestal is surrounded by neatly arranged flower beds with red and green foliage. Two streetlamps with green poles stand on either side of the statue. In the background, there is a clear blue sky, distant hills, and scattered houses beneath a few trees. A "One Way" sign and chevron-shaped directional arrow signs are visible in the foreground. Alt-text: Bronze statue of a man holding wheat, in a roundabout with directional signs and streetlamps.
The "Harvest of Progress" bronze sculpture is seen at the 6th Street-Central Avenue roundabout in Tracy on Sept. 7, 2023. A warehouse for Michaels, the arts and crafts chain, located in the city will close in August. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News/Catchlight Local)

Michaels, the crafts retail chain, is shuttering a warehouse in Tracy, a move that will result in the loss of 229 jobs.

Layoffs at the warehouse at 9375 W. Sugar Road are scheduled to take effect Aug. 4, according to the chain’s filing under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, or WARN, Act.

The closure adds to a topsy-turvy year for San Joaquin County’s normally vibrant warehouse job scene.

United Parcel Service announced in May it was closing its Stockton hub as part of a nationwide cutback.

By contrast, Amazon said in February it was hoping to fill 1,000 jobs at its Stockton warehouses this year.

And Home Depot entered into a 20-year agreement with Stockton in March that included a new e-commerce center that would create up to 100 jobs.

There was no immediate comment from Michaels’ officials on the closing of its facility, but officials said in an earlier statement the move “allows us to continue to optimize our distribution network, ensuring better service to our customers and our stores across the country.”

“We recognize the impact on our Team Members in Tracy and are providing them with support and resources to help them through this transition,” the company said in the statement.