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ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Hundreds of newly laid-off casino workers have been filing unemployment claims at the Atlantic City Convention Center today.
Over the weekend, more than 5,000 workers lost their jobs when the Showboat and Revel casinos closed. Officials from the New Jersey Department of Labor and the main casino workers' union are helping displaced workers file for jobless benefits and providing them with information on how to sign up for health insurance.
The number of people out of work is expected to swell to nearly 8,000 before the month is over. The Trump Plaza is scheduled to shut down Sept. 16, leaving Atlantic City with just eight casinos. The city started the year with 12.
Ruth Ann Joyce says she and her husband "had the American dream" for 27 years, making "good money" and raising a family on their casino jobs. She calls the closing "a tragedy."
%@AP Links
183-c-19-(Shirley Smith, AP correspondent)-"market after Nevada"-AP correspondent Shirley Smith reports that analysts and many casino executives say the immediate decline in Atlantic City is attributed to growing competition. (3 Sep 2014)
<<CUT *183 (09/03/14)££ 00:19 "market after Nevada"
182-c-17-(Shirley Smith, AP correspondent)-"have less competition"-AP correspondent Shirley Smith reports that experts say the casino business has been hurt by competition in neighboring states, especially Pennsylvania. (3 Sep 2014)
<<CUT *182 (09/03/14)££ 00:17 "have less competition"
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