Hollywood Mass Layoffs in 2020 Open Door for a New Breed of Creative Exec: ‘Adapt or Die’

After an ugly pandemic year, thousands of Hollywood workers affected by COVID-19 layoffs may struggle to find similar jobs when the health crisis fades in 2021 — particularly creative executives in charge of driving content creation in a landscape now dominated by streaming.

“Some folks that were furloughed will be coming back, but many will not or will need to be repurposed to the new world order,” entertainment analyst Jeff Wlodarczak told TheWrap, noting: “Adapt or die.”

When it comes to layoffs this year, no company or Hollywood job category seems to have been spared. A recent report from Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program estimated that the film, TV and radio industries lost nearly 200,000 jobs in the early months of the pandemic, from April to July, representing 7% of the employment total.