We have essentially closed most restaurants in the USA. I had no idea how many people are employed by them or have ancillary jobs due to providing supplies to restaurant. Hard to find independent data.
The restaurant industry site says 15.6 million. If true, having 15 million citizens all of a sudden not have any money coming in, beyond their personal financial issues, has to devastating to our economy.
https://restaurant.org/research/repo...stryRestaurant
Industry Facts at a Glance
- $899 billion: Restaurant industry's projected sales in 2020
- 1 million+: Restaurant locations in the United States
- 15.6 million: Restaurant industry employees
- 1.6 million: New restaurant jobs created by 2030
- 9 in 10 restaurant managers started in entry-level positions
- 8 in 10 restaurant owners started their industry careers in entry-level positions
- 9 in 10 restaurants have fewer than 50 employees
- 7 in 10 restaurants are single-unit operations
- Restaurants employ more minority managers than any other industry
- 63% of consumers would rather spend on an experience than purchase an item
- The number of middle-class jobs ($45K-$75K) in the restaurant industry grew 84% between 2010 and 2018, more than 3 times faster than in the overall economy.