Juan Sandoval used to work 70 hours a week, splitting his time between a fried-chicken fast-food chain in Chicago’s West Loop and a well-known Italian eatery a few miles away.
That was before Illinois announced in mid-March that dining establishments across the state would have to close for dine-in customers. Since then, the 49-year-old father of two has been able to patch together shifts assembling takeout meals at the friedchicken place, but that only added up to 20 hours in the week after the ban took effect. Meanwhile, Sandoval hasn’t heard back from his managers at the Italian restaurant, where he made $14 an hour prepping salads. “I’m worried about if I’m going to get money for food and to pay my rent,” he says.
The U.S. economy has never been more dependent on jobs in the leisure and hospitality sector— restaurants, hotels, and entertainment venues. But with the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S., that sector has been severely threatened. More than 1 in 10 workers, about 16.9 million in total, were employed in these industries as of February, a record. Also at an all-time high: the share of overall consumer spending being directed toward those businesses—about 8.6%, or $1.3 trillion a year.
Much of that economic activity is disappearing overnight—shut down by decree, as local governments impose social-distancing measures designed to halt the spread of the lethal virus. Transportation services—which include everything from airlines to Uber—account for an additional $486 billion in annual consumer spending, and they’re taking a big hit, too.
この記事は Bloomberg Businessweek の March 30 - April 06, 2020 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Bloomberg Businessweek の March 30 - April 06, 2020 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
Instagram's Founders Say It's Time for a New Social App
The rise of AI and the fall of Twitter could create opportunities for upstarts
Running in Circles
A subscription running shoe program aims to fight footwear waste
What I Learned Working at a Hawaiien Mega-Resort
Nine wild secrets from the staff at Turtle Bay, who have to manage everyone from haughty honeymooners to go-go-dancing golfers.
How Noma Will Blossom In Kyoto
The best restaurant in the world just began its second pop-up in Japan. Here's what's cooking
The Last-Mover Problem
A startup called Sennder is trying to bring an extremely tech-resistant industry into the age of apps
Tick Tock, TikTok
The US thinks the Chinese-owned social media app is a major national security risk. TikTok is running out of ways to avoid a ban
Cleaner Clothing Dye, Made From Bacteria
A UK company produces colors with less water than conventional methods and no toxic chemicals
Pumping Heat in Hamburg
The German port city plans to store hot water underground and bring it up to heat homes in the winter
Sustainability: Calamari's Climate Edge
Squid's ability to flourish in warmer waters makes it fitting for a diet for the changing environment
New Money, New Problems
In Naples, an influx of wealthy is displacing out-of-towners lower-income workers