Furloughed Premier Parking account manager Carlin Escue. | Photo courtesy of Carlin Escue
Furloughed Premier Parking account manager Carlin Escue. | Photo courtesy of Carlin Escue
Just a few months ago, Carlin Escue was an account manager in Premier Parking's corporate office in Nashville. That was before COVID-19 did its number on the local, state, national and world economy.
Escue, who lives in Waverly, has been laid off for weeks and, like millions of others, his future is uncertain.
"As a result of the coronavirus I was laid off," he said. "At the time of layoff I was making $50,000 a year. Now I am living off of my VA disability."
His wife is working from home, although on reduced hours, and they have not seen their grown children because of the lockdown.
"This puts an extreme strain on our family," he said.
Premier Parking's future also is far from certain. In late March, after the company's nationwide furloughs started a Premier Parking official described to a Tennessee news outlet the company's wobbly position and called for government assistance.
Before the pandemic, Premier Parking employed more than 2,000 associates in more than 600 locations in more than 40 cities across the nation, providing services at concerts, sports and other events.
Those events were postponed or canceled, drying up Premier Parking's business as the company's customers are largely stuck at home waiting out the crisis. Little to no customers left Premier Parking with no choice but to furlough of hundreds of its employees. They are among millions laid off in the U.S. because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Non-farm payroll employment fell by 701,000 in March alone, with leisure and hospitality jobs falling by 459,000, according to a report at the time issued by the U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics.
Escue said the bills don't stop coming just because there's a pandemic going on. One of his bills is for a new truck he purchased just before his layoff.
"I hope I get to keep it," he said.
The burden of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic is not only financial, Escue said.
"My kids couldn't come for spring break due to travel restrictions," he said, adding that if things don't change soon, he may not see his offspring this summer.
He has heard from co-workers and they're in the same boat.
"My team has reached out to me during this layoff and have expressed to me how difficult it is on them as well," he said.
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