Over 200k Mass. Restaurant Workers Laid Off; 93% of Restaurants Have Cut Staff

It should come as no surprise that restaurant workers in Massachusetts and elsewhere have taken a big hit since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the actual numbers are still pretty shocking.

MassLive is reporting that 93% of restaurant operators in the state have cut their staff with the average reduction being 87%, and more than 211,000 restaurant workers have either been laid off or furloughed, which is a stunning number considering that 261,000 people were working at dining and drinking spots in Massachusetts as recently as February. These numbers, which come via the Massachusetts Restaurant Association and a survey done by the National Restaurant Association, also include a 96% decline in restaurant sales in the state, with the average loss being more than 80%, leading to an estimate of a more than $1.3 billion loss in restaurant sales for the month of April.

The MassLive article mentions that the above data comes from a nationwide survey taken between April 10 and April 16 that included a total of 6,500 responses.