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Numerous industries will be permanently changed by the virus after thousands were furloughed or laid off while companies made the necessary audibles to stay afloat during the pandemic.
Some companies that vowed to return furloughed employees back to work have also announced that they will drastically be reducing their workforces in an effort to keep costs down to account for financial losses that were accrued due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
The pandemic has also forced thousands of small businesses to permanently shutter their doors due to a lack of business.
Companies planning to layoff thousands of employees include MGM, Coca-Cola, American Airlines, casinos, hotels, airport restaurants, amusement parks, booking.com, Nike, and multiple other airlines.
When the pandemic began, some companies were hopeful it would be short-lived, and expected furloughs to only be temporary and for business to pick up again.
However, as the outbreak worsened and more restrictions were put in place to try to slow it down across the country, they began to realize the true severity and the long-term effects it would have on their industries, leading to permanent layoffs that could lead to years of disruption for some companies.
Nationwide, there have been more than 6.5 million confirmed COVID-19 cases since the outbreak came stateside from China and Europe more than six months ago.
There have been more than 190,000 deaths attributed to the virus, the most in the world ahead of Brazil (131,210), India (79,722), and Mexico (70,604), according to the World Health Organization.
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