MGM National Harbor, reopened for barely two months, has permanently eliminated 779 previously-furloughed employees, or 25% of its pre-pandemic workforce of roughly 3,200.
It is part of MGM Resorts International’s announcement that it was laying off a total of 18,000 furloughed employees in the U.S., effective Aug. 31.
MGM National Harbor, one of Prince George’s County’s largest employers, reopened with limited capacity for its casino and its hotel on June 29.
“Due to the mandated capacity restrictions and business demand, many of our amenities and venues remain closed for the time being. With these positions currently unavailable, it has not been possible to bring back all of our employees,” Jorge Perez, president of MGM National Harbor said in a letter to employees.
Affected employees will continue to receive health care benefits through Sept. 30, and remain on a recall list, Perez said.
The cuts at MGM National Harbor, and MGM’s other properties, comes six months after furloughs began. Federal law requires employees to be given a separation day if they’ve been on furlough for longer than six months.
MGM Resorts International had a total of about 70,000 U.S. employees before the pandemic shutdowns began.
MGM National Harbor, Maryland’s largest casino, had $52.34 million in July gaming revenue, its first full month open after its March closure, down 13.9% from a year ago.
Live! Casino & Hotel, had $51.5 million in July gaming revenue, which was actually up 4.5% from a year ago, despite operating at 50% capacity.
