I’m in Ireland and I work in the hotel sector. It’s a sector with a lot of gig workers and seasonal staff. We are approx 10 days ahead of the UK in terms of an organised response, so you might find this a guide.
All conferences, meetings, parties, business travel, leisure travel etc has just evaporated. My niece and all her uni friends have lost their part time jobs. Pubs are all closed here, and some restaurants are only operating by offering strictly takeout only with minimal kitchen staff. Tour buses have all ceased. Some hotels have fully closed; Airline staff are grounded mostly, and airport workers have been laid off. Tourism employs about 250k people here. March is the traditional start of our season and we are looking at 2021/22 already as Hope is lost for this year.
There an emergency payment being put in place to pay laid off permanent workers, of €203/week. This can’t be ‘topped up’ eg to maintain key workers (like say maternity benefit) - you are either laid off, or put on a reduced week. I know my senior management is on 2-day weeks since last week.
There’s a huge recruitment drive to bring back nurses, doctors and other healthcare workers Including admin - 40,000 have signed up to this new register, including doctors coming back from Australia. Many pharmacies (all my local ones) have locked doors with chalk lines outside for waiting, and admission is one at a time.
Dentists, beauty salons, gyms, Cinemas, department stores - all closed. Google and Linked In (hqs) put their staff on remote working. Some banking hqs and big firms put staff on alternate day rostering to halve office density. Public transport is sparsely occupied.
Grocery supply chains seem to be fine but with queue management in place, people are arriving with shopping lists and there’s no dawdling so I am guessing basket spend is down. The big chains have introduced ring-fenced hours for elderly/vulnerable people to shop. My local Spar you are expected to wait to get in, get what you need, tap payment, and get out fast. The butchers shop allows one person at the counter, and one to queue behind.
National tv and radio shows have been presented from home, including our prime time current affairs show presented from the anchor’s garden shed - not for laughs or novelty. The Irish Times this week shut it’s office for a couple of days (an employees tested positive) and the entire Monday paper was created by remote working.
All this knocks into no discretionary spending, no casual meets, no commuting so no public transport spend and low purchase of petrol. VAT receipts will be through the floor and income tax likewise. We have been at full employment, and we are looking at 30% unemployment (my guess) in three months.