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ATLANTIC CITY - The job losses that have plagued the resort's casino industry were less severe in June for the first time in nine months.

In June, total casino jobs were down 3,413 compared with June 2008 - a slight improvement from May, when jobs were down 3,600 compared with the same month a year before, according to figures released Thursday by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission.

Since September, in year-over-year comparisons, casino job losses had been growing for each month.

The casinos collectively hired more than 800 workers in June, bringing the total work force to 38,648. It was the second straight month that the casinos increased their ranks after hiring more than 600 workers in May.

Brian J. Tyrrell, a professor at The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, said, typically, the majority of new hires in May and June are for the summer, when younger adults and foreign students seek temporary employment. The casinos also swell their ranks to accommodate the seasonal increase in tourists, then unload their workers post-Labor Day, he said.

"You saw a similar trend last year," said Tyrrell, director of Stockton's New Jersey Center for Hospitality and Tourism Research. "Although the increase between May and June is higher this year than last year."

This year, from May to June, the work force increased by 200, whereas last year it decreased almost 300.

All 11 of the resort's casinos added jobs in June, with the most at Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa, which added 450 workers, Showboat Casino Hotel, which added 110, and Harrah's Atlantic City, which added 92.

Trump Entertainment Resorts Inc., which operates three casinos in Atlantic City, added a total 51 workers.

Mark Juliano, chief executive officer of Trump Entertainment, said Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino added jobs in June because of the opening of its beach bar and an entertainment show that is playing through the summer.

"It is more seasonal than anything else," he said of the new jobs.

He added that because more customers patronize the casinos in the summer, its work force needs to similarly increase.

"The problem with business is not really volume," he added. But that "those customers aren't spending."

The industry slashed more than 3,000 jobs in Atlantic City during the fall and through the spring as the economy worsened. Increased competition from Pennsylvania's slot parlors have taken away much-needed business, as well, Tyrrell said.

May and the Memorial Day weekend signaled a bleak unofficial start to the summer: Revenue generated by the slot machines and table games was down 15.4 percent from a year earlier, the CCC reported.

Casino analyst Jane Pedreira, of Clear Sights Research, told The Press of Atlantic City that the wet weather in May was partially to blame for driving gamblers away.

June's revenue figures have yet to be released, but they could be dismal if weather is any indicator: Last month was the third-wettest June on record for the Atlantic City region.

14 comments:

• jerseymomma (18) posts 9:59 pm

  Hey MichaelGFromAC I was one of the many that was laid off during the casino cut backs. I like to know what casino you work at? because I applied to everyone of the AC casino(including the one that laid me off) and never got a call back. I applied for everything from the job i did to a lower job. If the casino are hiring how come the ones that got laid off weren't the first people they call back to offer another job.

• weisenthal (293) posts 1:48 pm

  You can bet these new hires aren't being drawn from the gang of insane, maniac antismoking nazis, like "reality" or "Tammy" or "Dr. Zaus" whose posts here have kept reminding the casino operators to what mentally ill scum are infesting this area, crawling and slithering throughout the cracks and holes in Atlantic City, which they economically decimated with their illegal and immoral campaign to create a second class society to shun (so they think) and force the casinos to bar 30 to 40% of their best customers, most of which have wised up anyway and stayed away from the misery and hardship left by these criminals. The ghosttown you see is brought to you by these animals, simply, control freaks, who think they can live your life for you better than you can. They are psychotic, evil nazis who would have you gassed rather than see you free. As for the visitors not spending any money here...where can I get in line to throw my money at non-payoff machines now featured everywhere in any Atlantic City casino? Gee, I just love losing all my money down a sewer. That's what I call fun. All brought to you by the antismoking nazis last summer and fall. Great work, satan's helpers!

• nemartin (9) posts 4:07 pm

  MichaelGFromAC - you say that you are involved in the hiring for one of the depts. of an A.C. casino, but you don't explain (or offer a reason) why local, American citizens aren't being hired. I'd like more input from you - but I suspect that it primarily has to do with: (a) local, U.S. citizens aren't willing to do these jobs (b) they don't think the wages are good enough (c) they lack either: (1) experience; (2) a good work ethic; or (3) social skills that make them good potential employees. You blame "THE GOVT". Kind of nebulous, that phrase. The government isn't hiring the seasonal workers in A.C., the casino H.R. departments are. So - exactly why are the jobs going to foreigners?

• beachone (79) posts 8:17 am

  I find it laughable that everyone thinks that the immigrant problem is new. This all started in 1982 when the then president rolled out his agenda to kept the wealthy happy and screw everyone else. Talk way back when was that this country was turning into a "service laiden" industry instead of manufacturing. The unions wanted their cut, the business leaders wanted cheaper labor, the american people wanted cheaper services and products. Atlantic City is not the only place that has tunred into a breeding ground for cheap labor. From Miami to Portland Maine to Arizona to Seattle. We have nobody to blame but ourselves. We ALL permitted this to occur whether we realize it or not. We wanted cheap we got cheap, we wanted a disposable industry we got one, we didnt care whether services declined just make sure we make our numbers. So before we all start our tears a rolling we only need to look into the nearest mirror and say "I blame you for this mess". B

• vwsteve (99) posts 5:27 pm

  Niky....for what it's worth there is not enough Skanks, pervs or prostitutes in AC....feel free to ship some of your excess Newark stock down this way....throw a rock in any direction and you'll hit one.

• vwsteve (99) posts 5:15 pm

  Bernie....you're kidding right. You can't put two and two together and figure out that the immigrants that he is speaking about are not contributing to the American economy as a whole....they are not consumers of anything really. I mean, I can't blame them for earning their keep and piping it back to home but I see the point here and when it's happening in large numbers in a relatively small demographic area it does have a negative impact.

• BernieSchwartz (645) posts 4:23 pm

  Uh Mike, what can they spend their money on? Gambling, drinking, tee-shirts, palm readers, over-priced restaurants (did you eat at the Palm when you were 21?), whores, crack? Could be they're smarter than that. Honestly, what should they be spending their money on in AC?

• MichaelGFromAC (10) posts 11:44 am

  I am also an expert because I do the hiring for one of the departments, for one of the casinos in Atlantic City. Most of the new hires are from an ex-Soviet Block Country. They pay anywhere from $5,000.00 on up to come to work in Atlantic City. They save all their money, send it back home and hardly spend any of it here. They bad mouth the US, Americans, and everything else about this country.What they make here in one summer, would take them a life time to make in the country from which they come. This money they earn, IS NOT SPENT HERE. My beef is this: How can a government which manages an economy in crisis, allow foreigners to work who send that money to their families back home and not provide this opportunity first to Americans who love their country, live here, spend here and have a collective interest in seeing America prosper? The American economy is in crisis because American leaders in business and government are on a suicide mission and don't even realize it. They are killing themselves and us all with the most potent, addictive drug of all. Worse then coca, worse then heroin, worse then nicotine or alcohol all put together. That drug is GREED!

• MichaelGFromAC (10) posts 11:40 am

  I am also an expert because I do the hiring for one of the departments, for one of the casinos in Atlantic City. Most of the new hires are from an ex-Soviet Block Country. They pay anywhere from $5,000.00 on up to come to work in Atlantic City. They save all their money, send it back home and hardly spend any of it here. They bad mouth the US, Americans, and everything else about this country.What they make here in one summer, would take them a life time to make in the country from which they come. This money they earn, IS NOT SPENT HERE. My beef is this: How can a government which manages an economy in crisis, allow foreigners to work who send that money to their families back home and not provide this opportunity first to Americans who love their country, live here, spend here and have a collective interest in seeing America prosper? The American economy is in crisis because American leaders in business and government are on a suicide mission and don't even realize it. They are killing themselves us all with the most potent, addictive drug of all. Worse then coca, worse then heroin, worse then nicotine or alcohol all put together. That drug is GREED!

• Nikynewark (117) posts 11:06 am

  Do any of these claimed experts ever go IN a casino? Wet weather keeps gamblers away? I remember driving 120 miles to AC in near blizzard conditions. Just another lame excuse for Atlantic City's failure. It was the gas price. It was the weather. The recession. The dog ate my marker. Duh! Anyone think the lousy slot play has something to do with people avoiding AC? Or getting rid of the big progressives? The toxic, acrid smoke filled air? Lowering comps? Lack of advertising? Belittle seniors comprising the core group of regulars? 30%+ toll road increase? Skanks, pervs, prostitutes, druggies and bums accosting people? AC was yesterday. Ciao.

• Reality (35) posts 9:20 am

  Atlantic City needs to ban these drug addicted smokers once and for all. This will improve the win percentage. The quality of the casino customer will improve once you rid the casino floor of these cigarette junkies. These druggies are the bottom dwellers of society, banned from nearly every business in this state but the casino floor. These junkies are not wanted anywhere in this state. They are a menace to society. Who wants to be next to one of these lowlifes at a table game or a slot machine? These people are ignorant, and stink. Their breath, clothes, and hair wreak of tobacco. The casino will have happier, healthier customers and workers once these druggies are banned. These drug addicts will still come to gamble, they are animals, and animals adapt to their surroundings. It's time for these drug addicts to go where they belong, to smoke with their other fellow druggies. You junkies think you are being treated like second-class citizens? Wrong, you addicts have NO class, so being treated like second-class is a step up for you losers! This little piggy went to market, this little piggy stayed home. Do us a favor piggies- stay home!

• PennsylvaniaSucks (109) posts 8:56 am

  HA HA HA!! SANDS BETHLEHEM ISN'T DOING SO WELL SO FAR! ONLY A MATTER OF TIME UNTIL WE SEE JOBS SLASHED THERE AS WELL!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Revenue drops at Sands Bethleham LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Revenue at Las Vegas Sands' newest casino has dropped for a fifth straight week, according to a report this week by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. Sands Bethlehem brought in $4.18 million in its fifth week, making it the fifth busiest casino in Pennsylvania. The casino grossed $4.79 million in its first three days and $5.9 million in its first full-week of business, May 25 to May 31. But after its premier week, revenue has continued to slip. Sands Bethlehem reported gross terminal revenues -- earnings after winners are paid -- of $5.02 million from June 1 to June 7, $4.97 million from June 8 to June 14 and $4.62 million from June 15 to June 21, according to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board's weekly reports. Las Vegas Sands could not be reached for comment. The $743 million Sands Bethlehem opened on May 22 with 3,000 slot machines and four restaurants to a crowd of more than 20,000 people. Located about an hour from Philadelphia and northern New Jersey suburbs and an hour and a half from New York City, the casino is expected to draw more than 5 million annually.

• njdlmkr (428) posts 7:40 am

  My guess is Barry O will now proclaim his stimulus bill created these 800 jobs!

• roscoe (19) posts 5:21 am

  Don't get to excited. Almost all of these jobs are seasonal! After Labor Day back to unemployment.

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