China News Service, July 15th. According to the US "World Journal" report, the Chicago Chinatown, which has been hit hard by the new crown pneumonia epidemic in the past year, is recovering at full speed. The Chicheng Chinese Chamber of Commerce pointed out that as many as 16 people will be added in the near future. Most of the members are the newly established catering industry in Chinatown. In the past month, only weekends and holidays in Chinatown have seen a significant increase in the number of people in Chinatown. The scene of deserted consumption is no longer, and the lack of manpower in the merchants has caused the industry to feel a headache. .
Yu Le, the administrative director of the Chicheng Chinese Chamber of Commerce, said that before the epidemic, there were about 190 members of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce. Most of these members were owners of companies, restaurants, and shops in Chinatown. During the epidemic last year, there were about 180 members, she said. Although the number of members has shrunk, it does not mean that the reduced members have withdrawn from the business and closed. According to the survey, during the epidemic, only two restaurants were permanently closed in the Chinatown business district, and other restaurants have maintained their takeaway business at least in the past year.
She also mentioned that from the relief of the first wave of the epidemic last summer to the full reopening of Chicago in June this year, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce added 16 members, of which at least 10 were restaurant owners. Yu Le said that the vitality of Chinatown is obvious. Be active again.
Yu Le said that although the minimum hourly wage in Chicago has been raised to $15 since July, the difference from previous years is that this salary increase has not been rebounded by restaurant operators this year. The main reason is that "almost every restaurant is short of people." Especially after the epidemic, the number of people going out to eat has increased sharply. However, because some employees still stay at home to receive the unemployment allowance with the federal extra allowance, the return of manpower is not as expected. It is generally estimated that the problem of manpower shortage will be until the beginning of September when the federal extra unemployment allowance was suspended. After that, it will be significantly improved.
In addition, Yu Le said that although Chinatown has clearly recovered, the ultimate way to maintain the sustainable development of the business district is to revitalize the Chicago tourism market. She said that the Chinese Chamber of Commerce will actively develop various sales promotion channels and strive to attract all visitors. Travelers from Chicago took a trip to Chinatown.
The directors and staff of the Chicheng Chinese Chamber of Commerce also held an inauguration ceremony for the new members. Patrick McShane, the chairman of Huitong Bank, who was re-elected as the chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, said that after a difficult year of the epidemic, he was very happy to meet everyone face to face for the first time. , I also look forward to the new chamber of commerce directors and staff working together to usher in a more prosperous future after the epidemic.
District 25 District Mayor Lu Hans said at the ceremony that Chinatown of Chih City is not only the only Chinatown in the United States that has grown against the trend, but also a model for the Chicago community. He affirmed the contribution made by Chih City Chinese Chamber of Commerce in promoting the development of Chinatown in recent years. , And look forward to working closely with Chinatown to promote the prosperity of the community. (Huang Huiling)