More St. Pete layoffs after Trump administration cuts youth jobs program

Eckerd Connects, a Clearwater-based nonprofit that assists children, young adults and families in need, will lay off 47 employees in St. Petersburg in response to the Trump administration’s decision to cut a federal jobs program for young people.

The nonprofit notified state and local officials it was eliminating the jobs shortly after Exceed LLC announced that it was cutting 119 workers because of the closing.

Exceed and Eckerd jointly operate the Pinellas County Job Corps Center at 500 22nd St. in St. Petersburg. The center is being shut down after the U.S. Department of Labor announced it was eliminating the program.