An estimated 81% of Oregon restaurant workers have been laid off or furloughed and 4% of Oregon restaurants have permanently shut down due to the COVID-19 crisis, according to a national survey conducted by the National Restaurant Association.

The industry group estimated that 94% of Oregon restaurants had laid off or furloughed staff. Those layoffs and furloughs have impacted an estimated 127,000 restaurant workers in Oregon. Across the United States, more than 8 million restaurant employees have been laid off or furloughed, according to the industry group, which surveyed more than 6,500 restaurant operators nationwide.

Some Oregon operators have laid off or furloughed thousands of employees. Landmark hotel and brewpub chain McMenamins, which operates 62 hotels, movie theaters, restaurants and bars throughout Oregon and Washington, laid off 3,000 people and closed nearly all its locations in March. McMenamins announced Wednesday that its pubs would reopen for takeout. Vancouver-based fast food chain Burgerville furloughed 1,020 people across its Northwest locations in March.

Oregon restaurants and bars have been struggling to stay afloat since Gov. Kate Brown announced a ban on March 16 prohibiting on-premises dining across the state in an effort to stem the tide of COVID-19. Since then, restaurants have moved to takeout-only options or closed entirely.

Some of those restaurants won’t reopen.

The National Restaurant Association said that another 6% of Oregon restaurants were expected to permanently close in the next month, joining the 4% of Oregon restaurants that have already permanently closed. Despite some restaurants continuing to provide takeout options, operators still saw an 83% decline in sales from April 1-10, according to the survey.

The Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association is calling on state lawmakers to act amid the crisis. With the support of 255 Oregon hospitality businesses, the lobbying group has put together a list of proposals to aid the state’s hospitality industry.

“The restaurant industry and its employees have been significantly impacted by this pandemic,” said Jason Brandt, President & CEO of the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association, in a statement. “Restaurant owners have said existing state and federal relief programs will not enable them to keep their employees on payroll throughout the downturn. We’re calling on our elected leaders to take more action to save jobs and get the industry on track for recovery.”

-- Jamie Goldberg | jgoldberg@oregonian.com | @jamiebgoldberg

Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.