Restaurant workers happy to be considered essential as unemployment claims skyrocket

MORGANTOWN, WV (WOAY) – As millions of workers lose their jobs during the pandemic, many restaurants have avoided laying off workers by providing essential food service. 

Others criticize restaurants for staying open, claiming they are not essential businesses and are hot spots for spreading disease.

A worker at a Chick-fil-A in Morgantown told us today he doesn’t consider restaurants essential but appreciates that they are still open and providing him a job. 

“I definitely don’t think we’re like essential, we would get by without the restaurant in order. It’s definitely providing a good service because a lot of people can’t get to the grocery stores you know. So they’re coming, they’re getting food, they’re eating. It’s definitely helping with the economy,” he said. 

Some officials think that unemployment claims will skyrocket during April and approach 20 million by next month. 

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