Florida Gov. DeSantis says Disney layoffs mainly hit California, though thousands of Orlando staff lost jobs
Sunshine State accounted for 56% of the planned layoffs, according to state records and union leader reports
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday that the bulk of Disney's layoffs are in California despite the fact that Orlando reportedly already cut at least 18,000 jobs.
During a press conference Monday, DeSantis said of Disney's 32,000 planned layoffs, most were in California because the state "will not let the theme parks operate."
DISNEY EXPANDS LAYOFFS, BRINGING TOTAL TO 32,000 WORKERS
However, the Sunshine State accounted for 56% of the layoffs, according to state records and reports from Disney union leaders obtained by the Orlando Sentinel.
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The layoffs come after Disney parks closed in the spring in order to stem the spread of infections. However, while the Florida parks reopened this summer, California parks remain shuttered until the company is given guidance on how to reopen safely.
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Even with some parks operating, the "limited capacity due to physical distancing requirements" and the uncertainty of the duration of the pandemic forced the company to reduce its workforce, Josh D'Amaro, Disney's chairman of parks, experiences and products, announced in September.
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The company took such a hit that in recent weeks it increased the number of planned layoffs for 2021 by 4,000 – mostly in its theme parks.
In September, the company first disclosed that it would reduce its workforce by 28,000 employees. At the time, a letter the company filed with state and local officials noted that at least a quarter of the 28,000 layoffs planned for its parks division would be in Florida.
The letter said that at least 6,390 non-union Disney employees in Florida will be laid off starting in early December. It also noted that the number of Florida layoffs could grow as the company negotiates terms with a coalition of unions that represents 43,000 employees at Walt Disney World.
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Overall, the company estimates the net adverse impact of COVID-19 on its full-year segment operating income across all of its businesses was approximately $7.4 billion. Disney parks, experiences and products accounted for $6.9 billion of those losses with little or no revenue from shuttered theme parks or attractions.
As of Oct. 3, Disney employed approximately 203,000 people – about 155,000 of whom worked for Disney parks, experiences and products. The global workforce was comprised of approximately 80% full-time and 20% part-time employees, with nearly 1% of part-time workers being seasonal employees.
The Associated Press and FOX Business' Lucas Manfredi contributed to this report.