The solar eclipse in the U.S. caused losses, amounting to 694 million dollars, to companies, because the employees left their work to observe this phenomenon, according to the Challenger, Gray & Christmas report, Russia’s Interfax reports.
According to the experts, on the average, U.S. citizens spent about 20 minutes, observing the eclipse. Meanwhile, the states, where the eclipse was best seen, obtained millions of dollars from tourists, who arrived there especially for this event.
According to USA Today estimates, Nashville, Tennessee, received 50-70 thousand tourists per Monday, which spent 15-20 mln dollars.
South Carolina obtained the profit of almost 43 mln dollars, and 500 ths people visited the southeast of Idaho.
It is noted that the amount of 700 mln dollars fades away in comparison with other events, which cost U.S. employers much more expensive. Thus, the endgame of the basketball championships among student teams (the so-called “March Madness”) annually costs 2 bln dollars, if we assume that about 80 mln employees spend minimum an hour of the worktime to observe matches.
