In a letter sent to the megamall’s employees on June 1, officials cite the need for “organizational restructuring” following the pandemic as the cause of the layoffs, NorthJersey.com reports.
"With the onset of COVID-19 in early March, life as we knew it changed dramatically and our new 'normal' is still undefined," the letter said.
"This time has allowed us to look at our organizational structure, and what made sense for American Dream pre-COVID does not necessarily make sense for us now."
Overall, about 7 percent of the mall’s previously filled positions were eliminated, the report said.
Meanwhile, the developer of the American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, Triple Five, has reportedly missed two monthly payments on its $1.4 billion mortgage for the Mall of America in Minnesota.
For now, the future of the megamall project is up in the air but is anticipated to create 16,000 on-site jobs and 7,000 off-site jobs when fully functional.
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