The view of Resorts World Sentosa island in Singapore is pictured on June 6, 2018.(PHOTO / AFP)

SINGAPORE - Resorts World Sentosa, one of Singapore’s biggest private sector employers, on Wednesday said it was laying off staff to cut costs as the coronavirus pandemic batters the city-state’s tourism industry.

The company, owned by Genting Singapore Ltd, did not disclose how many jobs will be lost, but the local Straits Times newspaper said the cuts were “significant”.

A spokesperson for Resorts World Sentosa said the firm had over 7,000 full-time employees at the end of 2019, but declined to comment on its current employment level. The Genting Singapore website says RWS is one of Singapore’s largest employers.

“We have made the difficult decision to implement a one-off workforce rationalisation,” it said in a statement.

COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the tourism industry is unprecedented, immediate, and immense.

Singapore’s National Trades Union Congress

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Singapore’s economy plunged into recession in the second quarter, shrinking a record 41 percent from the previous quarter, data showed on Tuesday, putting it on track for its deepest slump ever.

The tourism industry, which contributes about 4 percent to Singapore’s economy, has been one of the worst affected sectors due to travel restrictions and a lockdown that lasted more than two months to curb the spread of COVID-19.

“COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the tourism industry is unprecedented, immediate, and immense,” Singapore’s National Trades Union Congress said in a statement on the job cuts.

It added that it was working with Resorts World Sentosa on compensation terms, and would help affected employees with training and finding new jobs.

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The company had only announced last year it would invest about S$4.5 billion (US$3.2 billion) to expand its tourist attractions in the city-state.

Shares of Genting Singapore, majority owned by Malaysian conglomerate Genting Berhad, were up about 1 percent in line with the broader market.