Research indicates loss of 100,000 jobs in hospitality sector

As per the research from DCU Business School Covid restrictions might result in the loss of upto 1,00,000 jobs in the hospitality sector by year’s end.

The report was presented to Government officials last week. It is commissioned by the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland .

Anthony Foley, a DCU Business School economist was instrumental in conducting the research. According to him the losses would affect 15 to 24-year-olds and female employees.

 “Over 30% of the workers in the industry, before Covid, would have been under 25 years of age” , he said.

“As we know, the impact of Covid has been to particularly cause high rates of unemployment in the youth sector.

“It’s also a majority female industry, so if you like, its broad characteristics would be that it caters to a large extent to younger people, to part-time employment, as well as full-time, and it’s majority-female.”

The loss of 100,000 jobs would represent a 63% decrease for the sector as a whole. Along with Dublin whole country would face the repercussions.

“In terms of total employment in the Dublin region, we’re looking at 52,000 people employed in the hospitality sector, and we’re looking at maybe 33,000 of those jobs disappearing,” Mr Foley said.

“We could be looking at 19,000 lost in the SouthWest, we could be looking at 10,000 lost in the West.

“These are very large numbers throughout all of the regions because the hospitality sector is a big industry.”

While the Government has moved on to Level 3 of ‘Living With Covid’ plan, the representatives of Ireland’s hospitality sector have already raised their concerns

Only pubs that serve food and restaurants with outdoor facilities will be allowed to open. Sporting events are also restricted . All so-called ‘wet pubs’ outside of Dublin will be permitted to open tomorrow. 

The Licensed Vintners Association (LVA) accused the Government of “closing down swathes of businesses”.

LVA chief executive Donall O’Keefe said: “They are closing down swathes of businesses in Dublin, pushing thousands of people out of work and yet Nphet admits they don’t have any data to show where the infections are arising in Ireland.”

According to  Professor Philip Nolan, Chair of the Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group, restrictions in Dublin should be there even after three weeks.

 “One in three cases in Dublin are community transmission and it’s happening in these settings where people gather.

“Unfortunately for the next three weeks at least, we’re going to have nobody gather in those settings, and for some weeks thereafter,” he said.