Carowinds hit with new layoffs. Parent company cuts 10% of jobs at amusement parks
For the second time this year, Carowinds has laid off an undisclosed number of employees.
The layoffs come after parent company Six Flags Entertainment Corp. announced this month that it would be reducing its full-time staff systemwide by over 10%.
Kristin Fitzgerald, Six Flags’ east regional director of public relations for Carowinds, confirmed Tuesday that full-time positions were eliminated.
But she refused to say how many employees were affected by the layoffs. “This decision was made after careful consideration and a thorough review of our evolving business needs,” Fitzgerald said.
A majority of the laid-off employees were offered either part-time or seasonal employment, she said. If those employees were not interested in a part-time role, Fitzgerald said they would be “provided with a separation package and other benefits.”
In January, Carowinds had confirmed a round of layoffs also due to a “strategic decision” that required “restructuring of some roles.” At the time, the company did not disclose how many people had lost their jobs.
A majority of the staff restructuring should be completed before the end of June, Fitzgerald said.
All of these changes come almost a year after Six Flags and Carowinds’ parent company Cedar Fair closed on an $8 billion merger. Combined under Six Flags, the headquarters is now at 8701 Red Oak Blvd., about five miles northeast of Carowinds, in Charlotte.
The 400-acre amusement park that is in its 52nd season straddles the North Carolina and South Carolina border in Charlotte and Fort Mill, S.C.
What’s been happening at Carowinds and Six Flags?
Earlier this month, Six Flags’ President and CEO Richard Zimmerman, along with Executive Vice President and CFO Brian Witherow, held an earnings call noting that the company’ was anticipating a decrease in park visits due to economic uncertainty.
With consumers possibly spending less, Zimmerman noted the proactive measures the company would take including “targeted cost reductions.”
On a May 8 earnings call with analysts, Zimmerman said the company was in the midst of corporate restructuring as part of the cost-reduction plan. That included cutting the number of full-time jobs by over 10%.
For instance, Zimmerman said in early May Six Flags “eliminated multiple senior executive leadership positions at the corporate level and consolidated functional ownership under a few key leads.”
The system-wide reorganization, and other post-merger cost-saving initiatives, should deliver an incremental $60 million in cost savings above Six Flags’ original target by the end of next year, according to Zimmerman.
What does this mean for Carowinds?
Fitzgerald declined to say how the layoffs would impact services at the park.
Word of the layoffs surfaced just as Carowinds was beginning the start of one of the busiest times of year for the amusement park, coming off the Memorial Day holiday. Carowinds and Carolina Harbor Waterpark were closed for the day on Tuesday due to inclement weather, the park said on its website.
On Saturday, Carowinds’ Carolina Harbor Waterpark opened for the season, debuting the adults-only Carolina Harbor Shore Club. It’s an “oasis” for adults that includes a swim-up bar. It’s also the first time Carowinds has provided an adults-only experience.
Two new attractions for children are also debuting summer in the Camp Snoopy section, a roller coaster and an interactive raft ride.
This story was originally published May 27, 2025 at 5:19 PM.
