Takeout, delivery and outdoor dining are the only way Michigan restaurants can survive during the COVID-19 pandemic. | Norma Mortenson/Pexels
Takeout, delivery and outdoor dining are the only way Michigan restaurants can survive during the COVID-19 pandemic. | Norma Mortenson/Pexels
Restaurant employment numbers have significantly decreased in Michigan since February of this year, according to Michigan Capitol Confidential.
A report produced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals that employment in Michigan restaurants is down by 24% since February.
The report compiled data from February through October. But looking at average numbers across the nation, restaurant jobs are down by only 14.7%.
When combining bars, restaurants and other food-service establishments, 26.5% of Michigan food industry workers have lost their jobs since February.
Michigan registered 325,600 jobs within the food industry in February. By October, those numbers had dwindled to 239,200. Restaurant jobs in the state hit a rough spot in April, dropping all the way down to 145,000.
In early December, the National Restaurant Association released a survey finding that, across the nation, at least 17% of all eateries and bars (over 110,000 businesses) have closed their doors indefinitely.
The Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association has determined that 5,000 restaurants and hotels will be next, if the current lockdown restrictions continue.
Alerts Sign-up