Universal Orlando has laid off several employees in various departments, including its parks and resorts division, a spokesperson confirmed Wednesday.
The cuts come just weeks after Universal Studios Florida, Universal’s Islands of Adventure, and Universal’s Volcano Bay reopened on June 5 with reduced capacity and new security measures.
It is unclear exactly which departments and how many employees have been affected.
Comcast, the parent company of the parks and NBC News, has been hit by the coronavirus pandemic. In April, Comcast reported that first-quarter earnings for 2020 that showed the theme park’s revenue had decreased 31.9 percent to $ 869 million, “primarily due to closings … as a result of COVID-19.”
The theme park industry is one of the sectors most affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Disney left the workers in April and has faced plans to reopen theme parks across the country in mid-July.
SeaWorld Entertainment announced in late March that it would temporarily suspend more than 90 percent of its employees, who would not receive compensation during the period.
Six Flags, which released first-quarter earnings in April, has seen a 20 percent decline in revenue due to the pandemic.
Universal’s parks have been closed since mid-March, and with tourism still low, it could take years for the industry to recover to pre-pandemic levels.
“We have made the difficult decision to reduce our Parks & Resorts workforce across multiple locations and business units,” Universal Orlando spokesman Tom Schroder said in a statement. “This decision was not made lightly, but it was necessary to prepare us for the future.” “
The dismissed workers will receive severance pay, subsidized health benefits and professional help for reemployment, Schroder said.
Claire Atkinson contributed
