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Restaurant Industry Critical
to New York City's Economy

Pandemic Threatens Future of Thousands of Restaurants and Bars



New York City’s restaurant industry had 23,650 establishments in 2019, provided 317,800 jobs, paid $10.7 billion in total wages citywide and delivered nearly $27 billion in taxable sales, but many restaurants and bars have closed or significantly reduced their operations because of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving tens of thousands unemployed, according to a report released by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.




Job Losses Are Concentrated in Lower-Paid Sectors

Six months into the COVID-19 recession, New Yorkers working in lower-paid sectors continue to suffer a disproportionate share of job losses statewide and especially in New York City.

Among the nearly 1.3 million net jobs the State lost from March through August, more than 320,000 were in accommodation and food services. These losses represented 41 percent of jobs in the industry before the recession hit, and one in every four jobs lost in all sectors statewide. Workers in this industry are disproportionately likely to be Black or Hispanic, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. As shown in the chart below, the average annual wage in 2019 for these hotel, restaurant and other jobs was $30,689, less than half the overall average for the State of $75,367. Retail trade, another sector with comparatively low wages, lost 93,000 jobs, one in every 10 of its previous total.

By contrast, finance and insurance employment, among the highest paid jobs in the State, declined by 19,000 or 3.7 percent. Professional services positions, another higher-paid sector, saw a decline of 60,000 or 8.6 percent.



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Complete the census today!. Please help secure critical support for our schools, emergency services, roads, and other essential programs.



DiNapoli: Westchester Sisters Admit to Stealing $22,000 of Deceased Mother's Pension Payments

State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli and Westchester County District Attorney Anthony A. Scarpino, Jr. announced the convictions of Annette Bigelow, 60, and Mary Nash, 59, who hid their mother’s death to collect nearly $22,000 in her state pension payments from 2013 to 2015. The two Westchester County residents each pleaded guilty to one count of felony grand larceny in the fourth degree.

DiNapoli Releases Bond Calendar for Fourth Quarter

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced a tentative schedule for the planned bond sales for the state, New York City and their major public authorities during the fourth quarter of 2020.



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NTSB tells DOT to follow 2014 audit recommendations

Siblings hide mom's death to make money: Prosecutors

Editorial — Watch the spending: DiNapoli warns state about overpayments in Medicaid program

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