The pandemic and related precautions affected millions of restaurant workers around the country — unemployment in the restaurant industry shot up to more than 40% nationwide in April 2020, and to 60% in the Bay Area according to the State of Restaurant Workers report from the advocacy group Restaurant Opportunities Centers United. Six of the nation’s 10 lowest-paid jobs are in the restaurant industry, according to the organization, and more than 16% of U.S. restaurant workers live in poverty. Zoe Caras, national research associate for Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, explains what the report found in the Bay Area and what the numbers meant for workers.
A segment from our radio show and podcast, “Civic.” Listen at 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at 102.5 FM in San Francisco, or online at ksfp.fm, and subscribe on Apple, Google, Spotify or Stitcher.