More layoffs at Charlotte hotel as Marriott cuts impact nearly 1,000 local workers
Cutbacks continued at Charlotte hotels amid COVID-19’s hit on the travel industry, affecting more than 200 employees at an uptown Marriott.
State filings show 220 employees were temporarily laid off at the Charlotte Marriott City Center near the corner of Trade and Tryon streets. That’s in addition to 736 local workers impacted by cuts at other hotels owned by Marriott International, including the Westin, Ritz-Carlton and Sheraton/Le Meridien, the Observer reported last week.
Marriott International spokeswoman Casey Kennett refused to comment on the layoffs at the uptown Marriott.
But in a statement, she said the hotel chain has seen a steep overall decline in consumer demand amid travel and social distancing requirements. As a result, she said, hotels are adjusting their operations, resulting in temporary leaves, staffing reductions and, for some, terminations.
Among six Marriott-owned hotels in Charlotte, 956 employees have been affected by the cost-cutting measures, according to the notices filed with the North Carolina Department of Commerce.
Statewide, more than 1 million people have filed for unemployment amid COVID-19. Mecklenburg County’s unemployment rate in April was 12.8%, higher than at the peak of the Great Recession.
The state’s tourism and hospitality sector has been devastated. Of the nearly 835,000 unemployment claims filed statewide in March and April, about 21% came from workers in the sector, according to the Commerce data.
That sharp decline in the industry has also hurt state and local coffers. One study from Oxford Economics, released by the American Hotel & Lodging Association, found that North Carolina has lost $289.2 million in state and local tax revenue in the aftermath of COVID-19.
This story was originally published June 22, 2020 at 11:31 AM.
