Disney to lay off 28,000

Disney will lay off 28,000 people from its theme park workforce as the business division all but collapsed amid the pandemic.

Lisa Richwine reported the news for Reuters:

Walt Disney Co said on Tuesday it will lay off roughly 28,000 employees, mostly at its U.S. theme parks, where attendance has been crushed by the coronavirus pandemic, especially in California where Disneyland remains closed.

About two-thirds of the laid-off employees will be part-time workers, the company said in a statement.

CBS Los Angeles reported:

A letter from Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney’s parks, experiences and products division, said California’s continued “unwillingness to lift restrictions that would allow Disneyland to reopen” exacerbated the impact of the pandemic on Disney’s parks. Approximately 28,000 employees in California and Florida will be laid off, about 67% of which are part-time, D’Amaro’s letter said.

CNN’s Frank Pallotta wrote:

D’Amaro also placed partial blame on the state of California for its “unwillingness to lift restrictions that would allow Disneyland to reopen.” Disneyland and California Adventure, the company’s flagship resorts in California, have been closed since March.

The California governor’s office did not immediately respond to request for comment.

Disney originally planned to reopen the resort located in Anaheim, California, on July 17, but that reopening was delayed indefinitely.