Macy’s is furloughing a majority of its 130,000 employees after sales plummeted during the coronavirus pandemic.
The department store chain announced the decision on Monday, saying the company would shed employees and operate with an “absolute minimum workforce,” according to the Associated Press. Furloughed employees will still receive health benefits from Macy’s, which covers 100% of its employees’ premiums.
“We expect to bring colleagues back on a staggered basis as business resumes,” the company said.
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Malls and stores across the United States have been all but empty for several weeks as the federal government urges people to stay home as much as possible and practice “social distancing.” Millions of U.S. citizens have filed for unemployment in record numbers as businesses lay off employees or shut down.
Macy’s was struggling even before the spread of the coronavirus led to widespread restrictions on movement and a drastic shift in consumer habits. In early February, the store announced that it was closing 125 locations and cutting thousands of corporate staff as online shopping becomes more prevalent.
