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.
Many businesses were forced to shutter because of the pandemic-related lockdown temporarily or permanently. Photo: Tracey Taylor
Since March 17, the pandemic and shelter-in-place orders have transformed the face of Berkeley. Hotels and theaters have been largely closed. Restaurants have pivoted to mostly take-out dining with parklets springing up for the times when outdoor dining has been allowed.
The job market has been devastated by the abrupt closure of many of Berkeley’s businesses. At least 3,000 people have been laid off or furloughed from the city’s largest businesses, and hundreds of others from smaller companies have lost their jobs, according to a new report from the city of Berkeley’s Office of Economic Development (OED).