Without the coronavirus pandemic, 25-year-old Zechariah McCray says he probably wouldn’t have been struggling with money. But now, he’s struggling to keep food in the house.
Since the spread of COVID-19 shuttered the doors of restaurants, hotels and bars for weeks starting in mid-March, McCray says he’s still trying to play catch-up after losing a few months of work at the South Bay Inn and Suites.
McCray isn’t alone. As the economic impacts of the pandemic rattle the country, many young people have fallen behind financially. According to a study by the Pew Research Center, 35 percent of people ages 18-29 lost a job as a result of the pandemic, and 45 percent of people in the same age group reported taking a pay cut. In South Carolina, nearly 14,000 people filed a pandemic unemployment assistance claim during the week of June 8, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
In Horry County, where census data shows nearly 38,000 people ages 20-29 reside, many rely on service jobs that have been hit especially hard since the start of the coronavirus spread. Even after reopening, the financial shock waves persist.
Clubhouse Bar and Grill in North Myrtle Beach closed entirely starting in March, and has gradually reopened. But business has been “a slow-moving train,” owner Chris Trimm said. Since reopening entirely, the sales are only bringing in around 50-60 percent of the money expected for this time of year and the tips for servers and bartenders aren’t flowing as steadily.
