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Disney will lay off 28,000 workers as the pandemic continues to ravage its theme park business

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Disney will lay off 28,000 workers from its theme park division as its California parks remain closed. Other locations, including in Florida, have reopened with limited capacity. Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
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Disney will lay off 28,000 workers across its US business, the company said on Tuesday.

The layoffs come as the company's Anaheim, California parks — California Adventure and Disneyland — remain shuttered. Disney's other resorts in Florida, Paris, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Tokyo have reopened with limited capacity.

"As heartbreaking as it is to take this action, this is the only feasible option we have in light of the prolonged impact of COVID-19 on our business," Disney's head of parks, Josh D'Amaro wrote in a letter to employees reported by the Washington Post.

About two-thirds of the laid off workers were part-time employees, CNBC reported, and most had already been furloughed. 

Disney's parks, experiences, and consumer products segment — which incorporates its sprawling theme park business — accounted for 37% of Disney's $69.6 billion in revenue in 2019, more than any other business unit.

Disney reported a $4.72 billion loss for the second quarter, its first quarterly loss in almost 20 years, according to the Wall Street Journal.

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David is a Senior Transportation Reporter for Business Insider. He primarily covers airlines and air travel. A native New Yorker and avid photographer, David previously covered travel, credit-card rewards, and frequent-flyer programs. Before joining Business Insider, David was a freelance writer and editor — before that, he worked in public affairs. He earned his bachelor's degree from Muhlenberg College and his master's from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, UK. You can follow him on Twitter or Instagram, visit his website, or send him an e-mail at dslotnick@jkmperu.com. Here are some of his recent stories: