Documentary reveals toll of job losses on and off the Las Vegas Strip: “I cry and pray a whole lot”

REVERB is a documentary series by CBS Reports. Watch the latest episode, “Losing Las Vegas,” on the video player above.

When the pandemic hit, the economic downturn hit Las Vegas harder than any other major city in the United States, and the impact increased far beyond the famous Strip. Economist Jeremy Agüero described the place job losses surprisingly, with the highest unemployment rates ever reported by a state since 1976, when the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking these data.

“During the Great Recession, we lost about 180,000 jobs in three years. [During the pandemic]we lost more than 225,000 jobs in three months, “Aguero told CBS News.

Las Vegas Hotels and Casinos reopened its doors in June, with reduced capacity to stay in line with social distancing safety guidelines. But tourism continues to decline, shows have closed, conventions have been canceled and many jobs in the community have not returned.

“People who have never fought before are fighting it. Don’t expect to see Mercedes and BMW on the food distribution lines,” said Stacey Lockhart, executive director of Hopelink, a nonprofit that offers assistance from emergency housing for families and seniors in Las Vegas. zone. “That will be clear next year, and while many people have returned to work, there is a whole section of the community that has no job to return to.”

The new CBS Reports documentary, “Reverb | Losing Las Vegas,” tells some of his stories. [Watch the video in the player above.]

Angela Pepe: owner of the bakery

After years of making cookies for friends and her community, Angela Pepe fulfilled a dream and created her own cookie company, Curly Top Baker. During the first month, Angela and her staff prepared up to 20,000 cookies a week to meet orders mainly from Las Vegas conventions and specialty stores.

But in mid-March, when COVID-19[feminine] non-essential businesses stopped, including the big conventions that kept companies like Curly Top Baker running. Overnight, cookie orders stopped arriving.

Like many small business owners, Angela had to adapt quickly and change her business model. Online orders have helped keep her bakery afloat, but she told CBS News, “We’ve had a scary talk about selling the house and everything we’ve worked on.”

Your company did not qualify for the Payment Check Protection Program, established by the CARES Act. However, Angela negotiated the rent payment with her landlord and expects her business to survive. While most small businesses across the country reopened partially or completely in the summer, about 58% of homeowners said they were concerned about having to close permanently, according to a U.S. Chamber of Commerce poll. United July 2020.

Angela’s husband, Mark, was fired from his 15-year hotel marketing job, and his position was later removed. “It was a punch in the gut,” Angela said. He is now putting his energy into marketing for the bakery business.

Angela’s bakery is still open with the help of her family, but she believes the government could have done more to support small businesses. “I just wish many of you larger companies that they could take advantage of the grant money, they would have left some for the little ones [companies]. ”

Looking ahead to the holiday season, Angela expects gift box orders to be received, but admits she is still under tremendous stress.

“There are many nights when I cry and pray a lot. It seems very unfair,” he said. But try to be positive for your children. “They will remember that 2020 was crazy. We were going through all sorts of different scenarios with our finances, but we conquered.”

Tierney Allen – Las Vegas performer

Before the pandemic, Tierney Allen, a tribute artist who plays Lady Gaga on the Las Vegas Strip, was looking forward to her most successful year to date. “I was on Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight and all the local news stations. I thought 2020 would be even bigger. And then it stopped.”

When the Strip closed, Tierney found himself with no income. He quickly applied for unemployment, but it took 17 weeks for the first check to arrive. “Food stamps, Medicaid, unemployment benefits – all government programs that are supposed to be a safety net he saved us, “Tierney shared.

“I see every day, people who lose their homes have to leave Las Vegas. It has decimated the entertainment community,” he said. Although hotels and casinos reopened in June, shows and entertainment venues did not.

And amidst financial hardship and uncertainty, Tierney was diagnosed with stage III breast cancer. She responds well to treatment, but there is still a long way to go with the next surgery followed by radiation.

Tierney’s husband, Travis, had a long-running show about Elvis in the Strip. As established performers, they began a live show on a makeshift stage in their home to provide a platform for fellow tribute artists and share donations that arrive.

Some Las Vegas shows are finally starting to reopen with new safety guidelines, but Tierney has no plans to return to the Strip until 2021. Meanwhile, his live shows have been therapeutic. “It gives me a reason to sing, and the music is healing. I’m struggling to prepare and share my talent. It’s something to live for.”

Bradford Cook – Electronics Technician

Bradford Cook worked for nine years as the union’s leading electronics technician at MGM. Dismissed in March, he was expected to be called after hotels and casinos reopened. Instead, he received a call in September telling him his the charge was running out.

“I just had to keep it together because I didn’t want the kids to see me in a stressful situation. You have to be their strength,” he said.

Divorced father of two with shared custody of his children, has come out of savings and unemployment, but fears his savings will soon run out. The moratorium on state evictions expired on October 15, but an order from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stop the evictions caused by the pandemic remains in force until 31 December.

Finding a job is just a hurdle for Bradford and his family. School campuses remained closed in Las Vegas, so their 6- and 10-year-olds need adult supervision and hands-on assistance for remote learning throughout the day, making it difficult to find work.

Bradford is still waiting to be called back to his union position at MGM, but is currently looking for a job elsewhere. To afford to stay home, you will probably need to find two jobs. He believes that enough is enough between the savings and the help of loved ones to get through the end of the year.

“I guess when the times aren’t ideal, you find a way to get over it.”

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