An estimated 37 million domestic jobs could be lost in the U.S. due to temporary shutdowns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, which had infected more than 318,000 people and claimed nearly 14,000 lives worldwide as of Sunday afternoon.
At least 45 cases of COVID-19 and one death had been confirmed by the City of San Antonio's health department as of Sunday. Across Texas, at least 566 people have received presumptive positive or confirmed coronavirus tests.
The state's workforce commission has seen a surge of unemployment claim filings and numbers are expected to continue rising after Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a statewide order on Thursday prohibiting eating and drinking at all restaurants and bars.
Texas employers reported more than 31,000 layoffs from March 14-17, up from 2,289 during roughly the same time period in 2019. New unemployment claims from March 11-18 were 11 times higher than the same period a year ago.
How is the public health crisis affecting employment in San Antonio and throughout the region? How could layoffs affect the state's overall economy?
Which workers will be hit the hardest? Can "survival jobs" bridge the gap? Is your job at risk?
What's being done to ensure small businesses and workers get the support they need? What local resources are available to help jobless workers? How can you help?
Guests:
- Adrian Lopez, CEO of Workforce Solutions Alamo
- Juan Solis, board chair for Workforce Solutions Alamo
- Romanita Matta-Barrera, executive director of SA Works -- workforce development arm of the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation
"The Source" is a live call-in program airing Mondays through Thursdays from 12-1 p.m. Leave a message before the program at (210) 615-8982. During the live show, call 833-877-8255, email thesource@tpr.org or tweet @TPRSource.
*This interview was recorded on Monday, March 23.
