What jobs and businesses will be easiest or hardest to reopen?

[Zette]

I’ve been musing about the reopening process and wondering what all the “non-essential” jobs that can’t be done remotely look like.  What jobs do you think will be easiest and hardest to adapt for social distancing?  It seems to me that not just physical distance, but also the number of people an individual comes into contact with will have to be considered.

Two easy ones are pool maintenance and landscaping — they are often done alone or in a small group and so should be easy to stay six feet apart.  House cleaners aren’t in close contact but do visit multiple homes in a week, which could increase spread if they or any of the homeowners are infected.

Most retail establishments can probably imitate the measures used in grocery stores and Walmart — limiting the number of people in the store, plastic shields between the cashier and customer, masks, hand sanitizer, contactless payment, extra cleaning.

Schools seem to be a tricky one.  30+ kids in a room and 100+ out at recess and lunch will be an issue.  Maybe we split the classes in half so there are smaller classes attending either in the morning or afternoon only.   This would work for elementary, but what about middle and high school?  Or does everyone have to do a full year of distance learning, which will be a big problem for parents (more often mothers) who need the kids in school and aftercare so they can go to work?

Sports venues are out, but could movie theaters reopen at half capacity?

I’m not so sure that restaurants will be able to stay in business if they only have half the tables.

“Office clerks” is one of the most common jobs, but rather vague.  Which ones require close physical distance or interact with large numbers of people daily?

Factory work may be difficult to reconfigure due to the space needed for machinery.

What jobs and industries do you see being affected?

[CodingHare]

Easiest to reopen: The jobs that can be done remotely and are still ongoing.  There's no reason to pull the remote workforce back into the office before a vaccine hits.

Next easiest: Jobs that work by appointment (regular doctor visits, dentist, optometrist.)  Space out appointments to keep waiting rooms open.

Contractor work like you said, landscaping, tree removal, installations.

Retail stores will suffer if they can't move to online shopping/curbside pickup.  I'm not willingly setting foot in a mall until a vaccine hits.

Restaurants will have to move to mostly takeout to survive, and I expect many restaurants will fail under these conditions.

[erutio]

Gyms, yoga studios, jiu jitsu schools, wrestling clubs, etc. they will have a hard time.

Not only are people in close proximity, but there's sharing of equipment and you are sweating, panting, exhaling right on top of each other. 

[LaineyAZ]

I think bigger businesses like aviation will be tough.   There's a lot of logistics related to the business itself, not to mention a huge supply chain. 
Will be interesting to see if air cargo can make up enough difference for the loss in passenger travel because casual travel by air will be very low for several years.

[KathrinS]

Gyms, yoga studios, jiu jitsu schools, wrestling clubs, etc. they will have a hard time.

Not only are people in close proximity, but there's sharing of equipment and you are sweating, panting, exhaling right on top of each other.

I work in a Pilates studio. The idea our studio owner had was to have only one instructor working per day, so that there's only one set of students in at any one time. (Many are private one to one clients anyway.) Maybe this will be an option initially. However, I also think that many of my clients, especially the older or more vulnerable ones, will elect to keep doing online sessions for a while after the official rules lift. I would be more comfortable only travelling to work 1-2 days a week instead of every day right away.

[ketchup]

My girlfriend is a showdog photographer.  If there are no dog shows, she has no work.  Dog shows are just about the least "essential" large gathering out there.  Most have been cancelled through the end of June (so far).

I think just about everyone will be back to work before she is.

[stoaX]

In my neck of the woods the landscapers haven't stopped working.

[Plina]

Tourism related establishments with lot of people. I would not visit Disneyland even if someone paid me. I love traveling but the thought to be put in a quarantine or not getting home from somewhere far is not on my radar for this year at least. The trip would also probably require an airplane trip.

I try to avoid all kind of stores and order everything online. There is also the financial aspekt for many. If you don’t know if younwill have a job next month shopping might not be on top of your list.
If people are avoiding the stores, they are avoiding the restaurants even more. I was in a lunch restaurant a couple of weeks ago with work and honestly it didn’t feel comfortable. Or at least enough people are avoiding so that the restaurants will be in financial trouble.

[meandmyfamily]

Pool maintenance is an essential service in Arizona.  It has never stopped.  Landscaping too.

[js82]

Easiest?  Anything outdoors that doesn't involve putting people in stadiums/close proximity.

Golf courses are closed in some cases, but could safely reopen today if people aren't dumb.  Ditto parks/other outdoor recreation sites if people exercise a little common sense.  High-end retail places with low customer counts but high revenue/margin per transaction are pretty safe too.

Contractor jobs can be pretty safe, indoor or outdoor - person density for these jobs is low in many cases.

Hardest: Anything with a closely-packed group of people or lots of people moving through the same space:  concerts, sporting events(particularly indoors), airlines, cruise ships, gyms.  Museums are pretty rough too.  Most of these I wouldn't touch until things are under control, even if they *are* open.  The best hope for most of these is limited occupancy - but for some businesses (airlines, restaurants) it will make things extremely difficult.

[renata ricotta]

In my neck of the woods the landscapers haven't stopped working.

Same here; they're on our "essential" list. I'm sure there's some landscaping that actually is essential as a literal matter, like keeping a tree from becoming a hazard. But I think the majority of it is still allowed because the government wants people who can do their job reasonably safely due to not being in close quarters to keep getting paid.

[sarah102]

Hardest to reopen: tourism/hospitality establishments

Easiest to reopen: cleaning services

[Spud]

HARDEST: Airlines, airports, international travel, and all the supporting industries such as hotels and restaurants that are dependent upon them.

EASIEST: Anything where you don't have to work in close physical proximity to anyone for any part of the job. Weirdly I can't think of many, but so many office jobs/knowledge workers just need a PC or Laptop with an internet connection and they're good to go.

[Fishindude]

I think a lot of small mom and pop restaurants and bars may never reopen.   Much of that business is marginally profitable anyway, a few months off will kill them.

[beekayworld]

... I'm sure there's some landscaping that actually is essential as a literal matter, like keeping a tree from becoming a hazard..

Here in California landscapers/lawn care are also considered essential.  Part of it may be rodent control.  Many homeowners don't own lawn mowers so you can't just let the lawn grow for months. It's a health issue.

Contractors and handyman services are also still open.

[Serendip]

Hardest to reopen:
-Jobs that require close contact with patients and clients will have to find ways to adjust before re-opening and negotiation PPE-- such as dental hygienists, hairdressers/barbers, massage therapists, physiotherapists, aestheticians, podiatrists, acupuncturists

-Hotels or other businesses in tourist destinations. So many jobs already lost but not sure how long it will take for people to feel safe enough to plan a trip (however there still seem to be plenty who think the shut-downs are overblown so perhaps they will be jumping at deals once places reopen?)

-Real Estate agents. I know a few who work in the industry...economic instability has led to quite the immediate slump. Some will be able to take advantage of this depending on area and clientele

Easiest:
- Businesses that are still functioning but at reduced capacity, all the places who have accepted that their staff can work remotely

[Much Fishing to Do]

In my neck of the woods the landscapers haven't stopped working.

Same here; they're on our "essential" list. I'm sure there's some landscaping that actually is essential as a literal matter, like keeping a tree from becoming a hazard. But I think the majority of it is still allowed because the government wants people who can do their job reasonably safely due to not being in close quarters to keep getting paid.

Yes, I think industries like this give us some insight into the reopening (I assume it was it was a lot easier to declare landscapers as essential given they could also be pretty safe, being outdoors, etc).  A head of a landscaping company was on TV the other day and he talked about how generally easy it is to be safe, given they are outdoors are can usually do their tasks solo.  I thought it was interesting that getting people to the worksites was one of the most difficult parts, so anyone who could drive in their own cars from site to site was his most usable employees.

[OtherJen]

Anyone who works the summer festival circuit might be waiting around for a while.

Here in Michigan, the Holland Tulip Time Festival (May), Grand Rapids Festival of the Arts (June), Ann Arbor Summer Festival (June/July), Gaylord Alpenfest (July), and Traverse City Cherry Festival (July) have already been cancelled. Mackinac Island has started cancelling parts of the Lilac Festival (June). Detroit cancelled the International Auto Show (June), partly because the venue is now a FEMA field hospital. The Detroit Movement Electronic Music Festival is tentatively postponed from May to September. I've also heard credible rumors that Dearborn will cancel its Homecoming Festival (August).

These are huge tourism draws. Our state is going to be crushed economically by this virus, even once the official shutdowns are lifted.

[Plina]

HARDEST: Airlines, airports, international travel, and all the supporting industries such as hotels and restaurants that are dependent upon them.

EASIEST: Anything where you don't have to work in close physical proximity to anyone for any part of the job. Weirdly I can't think of many, but so many office jobs/knowledge workers just need a PC or Laptop with an internet connection and they're good to go.

Are not almost everyone that can work from home already working from home? What i mean is there really a need to reopen these you jobs?  Most of the people I come to contact through work already work from home.

[Villanelle]

HARDEST: Airlines, airports, international travel, and all the supporting industries such as hotels and restaurants that are dependent upon them.

EASIEST: Anything where you don't have to work in close physical proximity to anyone for any part of the job. Weirdly I can't think of many, but so many office jobs/knowledge workers just need a PC or Laptop with an internet connection and they're good to go.

Are not almost everyone that can work from home already working from home? What i mean is there really a need to reopen these you jobs?  Most of the people I come to contact through work already work from home.

My husband is working from home 4 days a week.  It's definitely not sustainable. I think he will have to be back at work more often (though maybe not a full 5 days) in probably 4-6 weeks max.  So his desk job definitely needs to be reopened. 

[Plina]

HARDEST: Airlines, airports, international travel, and all the supporting industries such as hotels and restaurants that are dependent upon them.

EASIEST: Anything where you don't have to work in close physical proximity to anyone for any part of the job. Weirdly I can't think of many, but so many office jobs/knowledge workers just need a PC or Laptop with an internet connection and they're good to go.

Are not almost everyone that can work from home already working from home? What i mean is there really a need to reopen these you jobs?  Most of the people I come to contact through work already work from home.

My husband is working from home 4 days a week.  It's definitely not sustainable. I think he will have to be back at work more often (though maybe not a full 5 days) in probably 4-6 weeks max.  So his desk job definitely needs to be reopened.

Maybe we put a different meaning in to reopen because I would not consider your husband job in need of reopening as he seems to working now.

[John Galt incarnate!]

I think a lot of small mom and pop restaurants and bars may never reopen.   Much of that business is marginally profitable anyway, a few months off will kill them.

+1

[beekayworld]

We just got an answer on how Georgia plans to reopen:

"Due to favorable data & more testing, gyms, fitness centers, bowling alleys, body art studios, barbers, cosmetologists, hair designers, nail care artists, estheticians, their respective schools & massage therapists can reopen Friday, April 24 with Minimum Basic Operations. " -Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp .

Movie theaters in Georgia will be allowed to reopen and restaurants can resume in-person dining on April 27, Kemp said. Bars, amusement parks and nightclubs will remain closed until further notice, according to the governor.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/georgia-tennessee-announce-plans-to-reopen-some-businesses-wind-down-coronavirus-stay-at-home-orders

[Wrenchturner]

Many sales positions will struggle.

[MayDay]

Nearly all manufacturing has been open through all of this as it is largely deemed essential.

Many manufacturing environments have a good bit of physical space between people, or can be adapted to have it. They also tend to have good ventilation.   

[Dicey]

Pool maintenance is an essential service in Arizona.  It has never stopped.  Landscaping too.

In CA the former is okay, but the latter is mostly not.

BIL owns a pool service/maintenance/inspection company. He hasn't missed a beat, except that traffic is lighter, so its easier to get around. He says he's just going to continue servicing his customers as usual, without worrying about who can pay.

[Leisured]

I wonder about the possibilities for clean room technology to be used in cinemas, pubs and restaurants. Does anyone have special knowledge in this field?

[js82]

I wonder about the possibilities for clean room technology to be used in cinemas, pubs and restaurants. Does anyone have special knowledge in this field?

I don't design them myself, but have been involved in processes that go inside clean rooms(as well as "cleanroom-light" environments). I see two issues:

1. Short-range droplet transmission isn't necessarily curtailed unless you have a lot of air velocity to redirect them - and that air velocity needs to be going downwards nearly everywhere in the environment.  This would basically mean blow from the ceiling, suck from the floor to create unidirectional flow.  Would require pretty major redesigns of most facilities to build in this air flow pattern.

2. Clean rooms are generally expensive AF to build and operate.  And it gets way worse if the building structure doesn't naturally lend itself to building the cleanroom infrastructure.  You're probably either building a raised floor and/or tearing massive holes in walls for return air ducts, redoing the ceiling, adding HEPA filtration, and a much beefier AC/heating unit(since air turnover is generally higher in clean rooms).  You might be able to forego the massive AC/heater unit if you recirculate more and focus on unidirectional airflow and filtration, but it still would require major facility renovations to pull off.

If small businesses(restaurants) don't have the cash to survive more than a couple months with no business, most of them DEFINITELY don't have the cash to stop operations while spending all the money to remodel their air systems to create a cleanroom-style setup.

I think what would be more realistic/not cost-prohibitive is additional dividers/vertical paneling - essentially to compartmentalize individual tables, and then to thoroughly clean each table for each group.  Not great for ambiance, but much more cost-effective.