PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A new report from the Center City District finds Philadelphia is slowly and steadily recovering from the pandemic, but only about a third of lost jobs have come back.
"Every arrow is going up, not as fast as any of us would like," said Center City District President Paul Levy.
Commercial space and housing are the bright spots in the report.
According to the most recent survey, 75% of storefronts were operating, and more than 80% of Center City's commercial space has been restored. Boarded-up businesses decreased from 233 in June of 2020 to just 39 last month.
While 127 restaurants closed, Levy said seats for outdoor dining increased by 70%.
"Outdoor cafes are at an all-time high of 6,200. People are loving being outside in the city and eating," Levy said.
The housing market remains strong. Nearly 2,000 properties changed hands last month.
On the down side, transit ridership, hotel occupancy and office occupancy remain low. Transit and hotel usage is only about one-third of what they were before the pandemic began, and office space is still 75% vacant.
Unemployment is at 8.7%, still three points above pre-pandemic levels, but greatly improved from 2020's high of 19%. Levy compares the pandemic to other kinds of medical trauma.
"Anyone who's been in an accident or had major surgery, there's a kind of tentativeness in recovery, and I think there's that 'I'm not sure I'm ready to go back, I'm still a little worried,'" he said.
Overall, Levy is optimistic. He said he thinks more people will be returning to offices in the fall when school resumes, and energizing ancillary business in the process.
