HOUSTON – The coronavirus pandemic has forced businesses big and small across the country to close locations because they are non-essential or simply because they cannot afford to stay open with the dramatic drop in customers.
Over 3 million people have filed for unemployment due to being laid off or furloughed. Here are just a few of the businesses that have had to make tough calls.
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Apache Corporation: The oil and gas company filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act letter that said it would be conducting a mass layoff at a facility in Midland. About 85 employees were affected by the layoff. The company also announced spending cuts and activity reductions. Read more.
Group 1 Automotive: U.S. vehicle sales for the international Fortune 500 auto retailer have dropped between 50 and 70% forcing the company to furlough or lay off nearly 6,000 employees. Half of those employees are in the U.S., including multiple offices in Texas. Read more.
Halliburton: Top U.S. oilfield services provider Halliburton furloughed 3,500 employees in Houston for 60 days as shale producers slash spending amid falling oil prices, the company confirmed to KPRC 2. “During the furlough, which will last up to 60 days, employees will work a one-week on, one-week off working schedule and will not be paid or permitted to perform any work on behalf of the Company on their week-off.” Read more.
Houston First Corp.: The company manages the city’s convention and tourism business. Due to the massive drop in tourism and the canceled events due to stay-at-home orders and CDC regulations, the company has been forced to furlough more than half of its employees. Read more.
Landry’s Inc.: Owner Tilman Fertitta has had to temporarily lay off 40,000 employees who work at his restaurants, casinos or hotels in an effort to limit the economic damage caused to his company due to government-imposed shut-downs. Read more.
Phillips 66: According to the company’s website, it is making a $700 million spending cut. The company is also reducing operating and administrative costs by $500 million, and multiple projects will be deferred. However, it is unclear what that means for the workforce. Read more.
Tenaris: The manufacturing company shared a statement on its website announcing that is will be ceasing operations at multiple plants and reducing employees at their facilities, including a threading plant in Baytown. Read more.
United Airlines: United Airlines announced it will be reducing capacity by 50% for April and May after the airlines saw about 1 million fewer customers in the first two weeks of March. The company, that employs more than 100,000 people worldwide, also reduced schedules, imposed a hiring freeze, introduced a voluntary leave program, cut CEO base salary by 100% and deferred raises. Read more.