The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated the California economy, especially public-facing businesses. Entertainment – including motion pictures, television, live shows and theme parks – restaurants, accommodations and retail sectors have been laid waste, evaporating thousands of jobs.
Few states depend on this sector as does California. Tourism, hospitality and retail also are the very sectors that employ workers on the lower rungs of the economic ladder. The supply and service chains that feed into and out of those industries are likewise on the brink. Like a boulder crashing into a lake, the longer this crisis persists, its waves will widen their reach and affect more industries and throw more Californians out of their jobs…