MGM Casino in Springfield Layoff 1,000

MGM Springfield is laying off 1,000 employees that were furloughed earlier this year.  The hit to the western Mass workforce is part of 18,000 MGM employees nationwide officially getting their pink slips.

According to a post at masslive.com, workers will continue to have their healthcare benefits paid through the end of September.  Employees could be recalled.

According to the masslive.com post, MGM Springfield brought back 800 furloughed workers when the casino reopened in July.   The casino is currently operating at one-third capacity.  At the peak MGM employed 2,000 in Springfield before the pandemic hit.  Even at 2,000 employees, that number falls short of the 3,000 jobs the parent company promised city and state officials the casino would bring to western Mass.

MGM is not alone sending Mass workers to the unemployment line.  The state’s newest casino Encore Boston Harbor today announced 385 employee layoffs according to masslive.com.  Those hits are effective tomorrow and they do not expect those positions to return this year.   Previously Encore furloughed 3,000 workers in June.

According to masslive.com, Encore Boston ended their second quarter close to $34-million in the red because of the closure due to the pandemic.