Disney to lay off 32,000 workers in first half of 2021

Disney has upped the number of layoffs it will make in the first half of next year to 32,000 from 28,000.

Disney already announced the layoffs back in September and in addition, in early October, around 37,000 employees who were not expected to be laid off were placed on furlough.

In an SEC filing published Wednesday, the company revealed that the majority of these layoffs will be from its parks, experiences and products division.

The job losses follow prolonged closures at Disney’s California-based theme parks and limited attendance at its open parks due to the coronavirus pandemic.

As of 3 October, Disney employed around 203,000 people, with its global workforce comprised of around 80% full-time workers and 20% part time employees.

Disney’s theme parks in Florida and those outside the United States reopened earlier this year with strict social distancing, testing and mask use.

Disneyland Paris was forced to close again late last month due to the new lockdown imposed in France to fight a second wave of the coronavirus cases.

The company’s theme parks in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Tokyo remain open.