Coronavirus Closures Of Bars And Restaurants Will Impact 7 Million Jobs

from Challenger Gray and Christmas

Bars and restaurants have shut down, curtailed hours or furloughed staff because of government-mandated closures or reduced patronage. Twelve states and the District of Columbia have mandatory closures of bars and restaurants.

Those shutdowns could cost or significantly impact over 7M jobs, based on various labor department employment data in the Leisure & Hospitality sector.

“It remains to be seen for how long the outbreak and response will last. Many establishments would like for their teams to return to work as soon as possible or otherwise keep them employed. Indeed, some bars and restaurants with delivery services may be able to keep some staff.

“However, with no income, many of these workers will likely seek, and hopefully, find other employment in the interim, which could make them unavailable to come back,” said Andy Challenger, Senior VP Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc.

“If the shutdowns continue even longer, many of these jobs may not exist immediately when the crisis ends,” he added.

Source: Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc.