Nordstrom Layoffs: Thousands Of Jobs Cut As Retailer Realigns Workforce With Market Demand Amid Pandemic

Struggling Nordstrom (JWN) has laid off thousands of workers as it looks for recovery amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Nordstrom closed all of its stores on March 17 due to the coronavirus. The company has since announced that it has reopened over 350 stores but recently saw its flagship store in Seattle and another location in Los Angeles damaged by protests.

As Nordstrom begins to regain sales, it has taken steps to realign and reduce its workforce to support its market strategy, a company spokesperson told the Seattle Times when confirming the layoffs.

The number of employees cut was not disclosed by the company, but a Nordstrom employee told the news outlet that 6,000 jobs were eliminated nationally in June.

The Nordstrom spokesperson added that the layoffs included “our corporate support teams” with salaries for most executives reduced, while President and Chief Brand Officer Pete Nordstrom and CEO Erik Nordstrom, as well as other board members, “are not receiving pay for a portion of the year.”

Nordstrom saw its net sales decrease by 40% for the first quarter of 2020, which was reported at the end of May. The company also announced in May that it would be permanently closing 16 of its full-line stores to cut costs.