December 14, 2013 - 11:11 AM
TORONTO - A total of 640 people are out of work after a key Sears Canada ally has gone into receivership.
A spokeswoman for Pricewaterhouse Coopers Inc. says only a small number of employees at SHS Services Management Inc. will be temporarily retained to help with the receivership process.
Kiran Chauhan says the layoffs at the independent installation services company are spread across the country.
SHS is quartered in Markham, Ont.
Sears (TSX: SCC) says it will ensure that all Sears Home Services warranties are honoured.
The retailer itself announced last month that it's laying off another 800 employees across its operations in another round of major cuts.
Sears has been scaling back operations as it sees its position in the industry severely eroded.
The company has already laid off thousands of people over the past few years and the latest round will leave it with 25,000 employees across the country.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2013