From event cancellations to local business closures, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on Berkeley’s economic makeup.
Unemployment, vacancy rates and other general economic trends across Berkeley are outlined through the city’s economic dashboards. The dashboards are updated with reports provided by the city’s Office of Economic Development, or OED.
The dashboards reported a tripling in the unemployment rate from 2019-20, increasing to 7.6% and thousands of job losses, according to Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguín. Businesses within the hospitality, arts, food, retail and personal service industries have experienced the greatest levels of unemployment, according to the dashboards.