Are tech layoffs bad for San Francisco businesses? – NBC Bay Area

Several small business owners in San Francisco are worried after more companies announced layoffs.

The job cuts mean businesses in the city could have more empty offices in addition to reduced office space during the pandemic.

“We kind of relied on the businesses around us,” said Raziye Mitchell, owner of a pita and gyro stand in San Francisco.

In early October, Meta announced plans to consolidate its San Francisco offices and move employees to its Howard Street location.

Marco Paz, owner of a hair salon across from Meta’s SF offices, said “we don’t know what’s going to happen” about the impact of the company’s decision on business.

Last month, Mitchell and his business partner opened their booth in front of the Meta office tower which will remain open.

She was forced to close her full-service restaurant in the East Bay during the pandemic, so the news of more tech layoffs comes as a shock. She has no choice but to remain hopeful.

Amazon plans to lay off about 10,000 employees in business and technology roles starting this week, according to a New York Times report. Twitter continues to downsize.

“We’re not going to give up,” Mitchell said. “We will still be here every day.”

The Mayor of London Breed had encouraged businesses to ask employees to return to work at least a few days a week, to help struggling small business owners.

However, with the continued layoffs in the tech sector, the mayor is now looking to attract other industries to the city.

“We’re looking at clean tech, we’re looking at some of the work that we can do on green energy and improving our manufacturing jobs and stuff and getting to a better place, but it’s going to be a tough time,” he said. she declared.

The wave of tech layoffs is having a domino effect. San Francisco is struggling to fill millions of square feet of empty office space. Business and technology journalist Scott Budman has some insight.