MGM Resorts permanently cuts 18,000 employees after being furloughed
MGM Resorts is laying off 18,000 people who had previously been furloughed.
The company did say it will extend health benefits for those who have been furloughed until the end of September.
Casinos in Nevada closed March 17. Unemployment in the state reached 28.2%, topping levels last seen during the Great Depression.
August 31 will mark the sixth month that MGM employees have been furloughed, forcing the company to provide a separation date based on federal law.
“Nothing pains me more than delivering news like this. The heart of this company is our employees and the world-class service you provide. Please know that your leadership team is working around the clock to find ways to grow our business and welcome back more of our colleagues,” CEO Bill Hornbuckle wrote in a letter obtained by CNBC.
At the start of 2020, MGM employed 70,000 people, according to CNBC.
Casinos reopened in early June, but the climb back has been long and slow.
The layoffs at MGM caps a wave of job cuts and buyouts this week from a broad array of industries.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
MGM Resorts is laying off 18,000 people as an unchecked pandemic leaves economic scars across numerous U.S. industries, particularly those that really on healthy crowds of people.
