THE CNMI Department of Labor and the management of Hyatt Regency Saipan have drawn up a “rapid response plan” to help 146 hotel employees find new jobs in anticipation of Hyatt’s closure on June 30, 2024.
Saipan Portopia Corp., the Japanese company that owns Hyatt Regency Saipan, has announced that it will no longer operate beginning July 2024 “due to the global shifts and continued challenges impacting Saipan and its tourism sector.”
Gov. Arnold I. Palacios in a press briefing said he had asked CNMI Labor Secretary Leila Staffler to ensure that the hotel employees will find new jobs.
In an email to Variety on Friday, Staffler said, “In response to the governor’s assignment to cushion the impact of the Hyatt closure on its employees, the CNMI DOL worked with the Hyatt to create a rapid response plan.”
The plan, she said, is designed to provide immediate assistance and support in accordance with the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
She said a “multi-disciplinary team” representing various workforce development entities, education and training providers will conduct pre-layoff assistance activities starting this week.
These include information sessions, onsite registration for the WIOA dislocated worker program, résumé writing workshops with Northern Marianas College, and a job fair for the affected employees.
Additionally, Staffler said WIOA individualized career services will be available to provide ongoing support and guidance to affected workers during the transition.
CNMI Labor invites interested hotels and businesses to join the rapid response job fair scheduled May 17 for the Hyatt employees by emailing cnmiwioa@dol.gov.mp/.
According to the Marianas Visitors Authority, tourist arrivals March 2024 were 46% lower compared to the pre-pandemic level of March 2019.
For its part, the Hotel Association of the Northern Mariana Islands reported a 36% average occupancy rate among its 12 member hotels for March 2024.
HANMI said hotels typically require around 70-80% hotel occupancy to stay in operation.
