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Disney World freezes hiring
By Robert Johnson | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted February 19, 2003
In another sign of the still-soft economy, Central Florida's largest employer, Walt Disney World, has ordered a hiring freeze effective immediately and indefinitely -- or until tourism picks up again.
"It's no secret that the tourism industry is continuing to be affected by September 11 and the recession," said Marilyn Waters, a spokeswoman for the attraction, which employs 54,000 workers.
The freeze affects jobs for permanent workers and is the first such measure taken at Disney World since October 2001. That freeze lasted until the spring of 2002, when Disney World began advertising for entertainers. No official end to that freeze was ever announced, but Disney's theme parks and resorts here have been hiring through much of the past 10 months.
Officials at both Universal Orlando and SeaWorld said Tuesday that they are continuing to hire.
Disney World's hiring stoppage comes less than three weeks since its corporate parent, Walt Disney Co., reported a 42 percent drop in first-quarter net income. The entertainment giant took a hit from a bad airline lease investment and a writedown from its animated box-office flop, Treasure Planet.
Operating income at Disney's parks and resorts rose 20 percent, a jump skewed by the double-digit attendance declines Disney faced a year ago after the terrorism attacks.
Waters said the freeze doesn't extend to seasonal workers. Indeed, Disney World recently hired 1,200 college workers for temporary jobs beginning in early summer -- the most such seasonal workers ever at the attraction.
Some Disney World workers have complained that hiring college workers, who don't receive the insurance and other benefits for which permanent employees are eligible, is part of a strategy to save money. But Disney World officials have said in the past that the hiring of seasonal workers and the filling of permanent jobs aren't linked.
"Like most businesses in the area, we're holding the line on expenses until we know more about the impact of a possible war," Waters said. "Some of the common steps we're taking include a temporary hiring freeze and watching discretionary business expenses."
Asked for an example of discretionary expenses, Waters said they are things "that don't impact guest services," such as office equipment.
Disney World isn't laying off current employees. After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, it kept layoffs to a minimum and instead trimmed the work schedules of 40,000 hourly employees.
Lately some workers' hours have been cut again, although Waters said that so far those reductions are routine seasonal "adjustments."
By Robert Johnson | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted February 19, 2003
In another sign of the still-soft economy, Central Florida's largest employer, Walt Disney World, has ordered a hiring freeze effective immediately and indefinitely -- or until tourism picks up again.
"It's no secret that the tourism industry is continuing to be affected by September 11 and the recession," said Marilyn Waters, a spokeswoman for the attraction, which employs 54,000 workers.
The freeze affects jobs for permanent workers and is the first such measure taken at Disney World since October 2001. That freeze lasted until the spring of 2002, when Disney World began advertising for entertainers. No official end to that freeze was ever announced, but Disney's theme parks and resorts here have been hiring through much of the past 10 months.
Officials at both Universal Orlando and SeaWorld said Tuesday that they are continuing to hire.
Disney World's hiring stoppage comes less than three weeks since its corporate parent, Walt Disney Co., reported a 42 percent drop in first-quarter net income. The entertainment giant took a hit from a bad airline lease investment and a writedown from its animated box-office flop, Treasure Planet.
Operating income at Disney's parks and resorts rose 20 percent, a jump skewed by the double-digit attendance declines Disney faced a year ago after the terrorism attacks.
Waters said the freeze doesn't extend to seasonal workers. Indeed, Disney World recently hired 1,200 college workers for temporary jobs beginning in early summer -- the most such seasonal workers ever at the attraction.
Some Disney World workers have complained that hiring college workers, who don't receive the insurance and other benefits for which permanent employees are eligible, is part of a strategy to save money. But Disney World officials have said in the past that the hiring of seasonal workers and the filling of permanent jobs aren't linked.
"Like most businesses in the area, we're holding the line on expenses until we know more about the impact of a possible war," Waters said. "Some of the common steps we're taking include a temporary hiring freeze and watching discretionary business expenses."
Asked for an example of discretionary expenses, Waters said they are things "that don't impact guest services," such as office equipment.
Disney World isn't laying off current employees. After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, it kept layoffs to a minimum and instead trimmed the work schedules of 40,000 hourly employees.
Lately some workers' hours have been cut again, although Waters said that so far those reductions are routine seasonal "adjustments."
