Harrah’s Slices Five Percent of Staff in Mississippi

Harrah’s Entertainment Inc. recently announced its trimming 5 percent of its staff at its Horseshoe Casino & Hotel in Tunica, Miss. The company largely attributed the cuts to an overall decline in the casino business.

“The Tunica market has declined 3 percent to 5 percent each year for the past five years, and we see no immediate reversal of that trend,” Harrah’s Mid-South regional president R. Scott Barber said. “Therefore we must adjust our operations to continue to run as efficiently and protect as many jobs as possible.”

The 5 percent reduction in staff equates to about 200 jobs. Affected positions range from senior management to front-line employees, the company said in a press release.  Additionally, the company said its outsourcing 150 housekeeping positions.

While announcing the job cuts, the company said it had net losses of about $165 million in the third quarter and about $634 million for the nine months ending Sept. 30.