MGM Resorts axes 18,000 jobs

Twenty-five percent of the workforce at MGM Resorts in the US are being made redundant – 18,000 jobs in all – as a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The majority of the redundancies are in its Las Vegas properties where MGM is the largest operator. It has struggled to fill its hotels since the pandemic broke out in March and casino players have stayed away. Two casinos, the Park MGM in the city and the Empire City in New York, are still not reopened.

Bill Hornbuckle, CEO, has told staff: “While we have safely resumed operations at many of our properties and have returned tens of thousands of our colleagues to work, our industry – and country – continues to be impacted by the pandemic and we have not returned to full operating capacity.”

The number of visitors to Las Vegas in July fell to 1.44 milion, down 61 per cent. July was the first full month after the casinos in the Nevada city were reopened.