Report: Pandemic Has Decimated New York City’s Arts and Culture Sector

Employment in New York City’s arts, culture, and recreation sectors has plummeted by 66% amidst the coronavirus pandemic-induced decline in travel and dining, according to a new report issued by the state’s Comptroller’s Office.

The sector, the report noted,is “a cornerstone of the city’s ability to attract businesses, residents and visitors alike.”

It further noted that “the sector relies on audiences who gather to take part in shared experiences, and this way of life has been significantly disrupted by the pandemic.”

Arts, culture, and recreation generated $70 billion of economic activity prior to the pandemic including Broadway and off-Broadway shows, baseball games, and concerts.

In the city, many performing arts venues remain shuttered, including all Broadway theaters. Broadway does not expect to reopen until June at the earliest, while the Metropolitan Opera and the New York City Ballet have already said they won’t reopen until September.

“The Covid-19 outbreak has had a profound and negative impact on the industry,” Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said Wednesday in a statement. “It has forced facilities to close, thrust thousands into unemployment and pushed businesses to the brink of collapse.”

(Photo: Accura Media Group)