- Companies around the world are laying off workers as demand in industries from travel to events decline sharply because of the coronavirus pandemic.
- Norwegian said on Thursday it would temporarily lay off up to 50% of its workforce across all departments.
- After canceling its annual event, South by Southwest is laying off a third of its workforce.
- Here's a list of companies laying off employees because of the coronavirus pandemic.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
As travelers and event-goers stay home during the coronavirus pandemic, companies are taking a hit and some are laying off employees.
From airlines like Norwegian to events like South by Southwest, workers around the world are feeling the impact of the coronavirus.
Here's a list of companies laying off employees due to the pandemic.
Work at a company that cited the coronavirus as a resaon for layoffs? Contact the reporter of this piece, Bryan Pietsch, at bpietsch@businessinsider.com
Norwegian
Norwegian said it would lay off up to 50% of its employees across all departments because of a decline in flights.
The company said that because of the pandemic and President Trump's restrictions on some travel from Europe for 30 days, it would ground 40% of its long-haul fleet, and cancel up to 25% of short-haul flights through the end of May.
Norwegian is consulting with unions and will contact impacted departments and employees.
South by Southwest
South by Southwest canceled its annual event in Austin, Texas because of the coronavirus, and said that because of the cancellation it would lay off about a third of its full-time employees, as first reported by Wall Street Journal reporter Elizabeth Findell and confirmed by a spokesperson to Business Insider.
"Due to the City of Austin's unprecedented and unexpected cancellation of the SXSW 2020 events in March, SXSW has been rigorously reviewing our operations, and we are in the unimaginable position of reducing our workforce. Today we said goodbye to approximately one-third of our full-time staff," the spokesperson said.
South by Southwest has around 175 full-time employees who work on the event year-round, the Wall Street Journal reported, so the move will cut jobs for around 58 people.
Port of Los Angeles
At the Port of Los Angeles, the busiest shipping port in the country, 145 drivers were laid off and other employees were sent home with no pay, according to a report by The Washington Post.
Workers told The Washington Post that the port has become a "ghost town" since ships from China stopped arriving, and that the port is more empty than it was during the Great Recession.
Christie Lites stage-lighting
Christie Lites, a stage-lighting company that services events across North America, laid off more than 100 of its 500 workers, according to The Washington Post.
The company's CEO, Huntly Christie, told The Washington Post that the company will likely lay off 150 more employees, as event companies around the world are grappling with cancellations and declining attendance.
China Visa Service Center
The Washington Post also reported that the China Visa Service Center in Los Angeles let go of around 20 employees.
The center had previously processed visas for Americans traveling to China at a rate of 400 visas per month, but only 22 processed in February, according to a former employee quoted in the report.
Work at a company that cited the coronavirus as a resaon for layoffs? Contact the reporter of this piece, Bryan Pietsch, at bpietsch@businessinsider.com
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