Disney Begins Laying Off Thousands; Possible FL Impact

ORLANDO, FL — Thousands of Disney workers are being laid off this week in the entertainment giant's second round of mass layoffs this spring.

The layoffs began Monday and will last through Thursday as part of the media company's previously announced plan to cut its workforce by 7,000 employees.

It's unclear if Florida employees will be affected. No WARN Notices from Disney show on the state's dashboard.

Cuts are expected at ESPN, Disney's entertainment division, Disney Parks and Disney's Experiences and Product division. It is part of Disney's Chief Executive Bob Iger's plan announced in February in order to save $5.5 billion in costs, according to the company.

Disney has theme parks, Disneyland and California Adventure, in Anaheim, ESPN offices in downtown Los Angeles and studios in Burbank.

The cuts are expected to bring the number of jobs lost across the country to 4,000 according to media reports. The layoffs are not expected to affect hourly workers at Disney's theme parks and resorts.

A third and final wave of layoffs are expected in the beginning of summer and bring the total number of layoffs to around 7,000.

Disney had about 220,000 workers as of Oct. 1, about 160,000 of those in the United States. The job cuts amount to about 3 percent of the entertainment giant's global workforce and were announced after Disney reported quarterly results that topped Wall Street’s forecasts.

Disney began laying off thousands of workers at the end of March.

"The difficult reality of many colleagues and friends leaving Disney is not something we take lightly," Iger said in a memo to staff last month. "In tough moments, we must always do what is required to ensure Disney can continue delivering exceptional entertainment to audiences and guests around the world — now, and long into the future."

Disney's streaming competitors such as Netflix have been shedding hundreds of jobs since the summer. Tech giants such as Amazon, Apple, Twitter and Meta have laid off tens of thousands of employees in the last six months. Meta layoff announcements were rewarded by the stock market. Meta’s stock value surged 20 percent in the wake of its initial cost-cutting moves.

The possibility of layoffs at Disney seemed likely with Iger regaining his footing in the CEO's office following the surprise ouster of CEO Bob Chapek in November.

Iger sought to soften the blow in his memo to employees.

"This company is home to the most talented and dedicated employees in the world, and so many of you bring a lifelong passion for Disney to your work here," he wrote. "That’s part of what makes working at Disney so special. It also makes it all the more difficult to say goodbye to wonderful people we care about."

Patch Editor Paige Austin, the Associated Press and City News Service contributed to this report.