An Illinois company is cutting hundreds of jobs after losing a long-running contract, a warning sign for workers as companies chase cheaper ways to operate.

• STR Medical Transportation is laying off 241 workers on September 30 after losing its call center contract.
• The 10-year contract with Pace Suburban Bus was rebid and went to another company.
• More layoffs like this are expected as companies use AI to do more work with fewer people.
• Losing your job also gets harder to recover from when many other laid-off people are competing for the same openings.

Outlook: Expect more contract losses and job cuts as companies push to cut costs with automation.