Disney layoffs total 1,900 - Orlando Business Journal:

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Of that total, 1,400 of the positionw were in Central The company laid off 900 workers and eliminatexd500 positions, the company In California, 200 workers lost their jobs and the companyy eliminated 100 positions, Disney said. The job cuts are relatexd to an overhaulof Disney’s theme-park managemenr structure the company announced Feb. 18. The jobs were all management andprofessional positions, the company said. The goal of the restructuringv was to consolidate much ofits decision-making proces s for Disney World and Disneyland. Disney also offerefd buyouts in January to600 high-level managemenf executives in Orlando and California, which was acceptedr by 50 people.
Disney has about 62,000 workerxs in Central Florida. “These decisions are not made but are essential to maintaining our leadershi p in family tourism andreflect today’d economic realities,” said Mike Griffin, a The job cuts have been occurring over the past severaol weeks, the company said. Those laid off receive a 60-dayt paid administrative leave, a severancse package that is based on thei r yearsof service, extended medical benefits and job The layoffs come as the and the black eye that companies have received over corporatre meetings and executive travel, has the Orlando travel industr reeling.
Orange County reported February resort tax collections were down 29 percenr and air traffic at Orlandoo International Airport was down 11 percent during the same From Octoberthrough February, resort tax collectionds are down 12 percent. Smitg Travel Research, which tracks hotel performancse nationwide, reported Orlando hotel occupancy in the last week of March was down 26percenf — the greatest decline in the Smith Travel also reported that Orlando area revenue per availablde room, the key measure of financial health, fell 35.4 percent to $68.15.
Particularly troublinh to area tourism officials is the industry relieds on business during the first four monthss of the year for much of itsannual revenue. “Yoyu can’t underestimate the importance of the first monthes of the year to the Orlando saidRich Maladecki, president of the . Althougbh the bulk of the job cuts have been Disney said the company does manage its operation based on demand and like any othee business it is subject to the ups and downds ofthe economy.