The Coronavirus Outbreak Has Caused 2 Out Of 3 Restaurant Employees To Lose Their Jobs
A new report by The National Restaurant Association has shed some light on the severe impact the COVID-19 outbreak has had on the food industry.
According to the report, which was previously explored by Food & Wine, more than 8 million restaurant employees have been laid off or furloughed since social distancing measures because of the outbreak began, and the restaurant industry has had "more sales and job losses than any other industry in the country."
The survey estimates that two out of three restaurant employees have lost their jobs and 61 percent of operators surveyed said that existing federal relief programs wouldn't prevent further layoffs.
The food service industry is estimated to lose $80 billion in sales by the end of April as a result of the outbreak; $30 billion in March and $50 billion in April. An estimated four out of 10 restaurants across the country are closed.
The survey was conducted by polling 6,500 restaurant operators nationwide from April 10-16. The impact to the food industry as a whole could be even greater because it measured only the impact to restaurants and their employees and "did not include other foodservice outlets such as hotels, ballparks, and other venues."
As a result of the survey's findings, The National Restaurant Association is recommending that the government issue a $240 billion emergency recovery fund that would solely benefit restaurants. They also issued a list of suggested changes to the Paycheck Protection Program (which is aimed at aiding small businesses), which was depleted last week. You can read the entire list of proposals here.
Executive Vice President of Public Affairs Sean Kennedy concluded in a letter to congressional leaders:
Each of you has a favorite restaurant in your home state—one that exemplifies your culture, your cuisine, and your community. The restaurant industry epitomizes the American dream, but it is uniquely vulnerable to both the current circumstances and the future uncertainty of dining in an era of social distancing.
You can find a list of non-profits to donate to, including those benefiting those in the food industry, here.
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