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Researchers Say Santa Barbara County Could Lose 20,000 Jobs In May

Experts in the realms of business and tourism are crunching the numbers to see where Santa Barbara County stands currently, where the region might be going, and how to dig out of the economic recession.

Researchers in a county-wide webinar said that the first numbers show job loss numbers ranging between 22,000 and 23,000, and they predicted that loss numbers would repeat at roughly that same level in May.

The tourism and hospitality industry will be hit particularly hard.

"Weekly occupancy has ranged between 10 and 15 percent," says Kathy Janega-Dykes, with Visit Santa Barbara.

Janega-Dykes says that when the comeback does occur, people will be looking at day trips, along with places that have beaches and outdoor trails for safety and health reasons. Both of those are plentiful in Santa Barbara County.

Andy worked at KCLU from 2016 until 2022.
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