Nashville’s prominent hospitality and leisure industry likely won’t return to pre-COVID-19 employment levels until mid-2022, according to an economic impact analysis by the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce.
According to the trade association HospitalityTN, the hotel and entertainment industry saw more than a 60% decrease in traffic and revenue in March, which led to a series of mass layoffs at companies including Gray Line Tennessee, Chartwell Hospitality, Westin Nashville and the Hutton Hotel.
Dream Nashville reported 95 layoffs to the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development earlier this month.
The Chamber’s analysis is based in part on unemployment claims and the lost of revenue across Tennessee. In April, the state set a record for joblessness — 15.5% unemployment.
Still, despite the slow return of Nashville’s hospitality industry, the analysis does suggest that most of the state’s business sectors will rebound to pre-COVID-19 levels by the end of 2021.
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