The economic meltdown that has triggered massive layoffs and production cutbacks in the formal business sector has spread to the illegal sex industry as prostitutes and sensual massage parlours have reported at least a 50 per cent decline in profits and clientele.
The manager of a well-established Kingston massage parlour, which offers sexual services, said she may be forced to close doors soon. While accustomed to making $8,000-$10,000 on weekdays and up to $15,000 on weekends, the operator, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the economic crunch has depressed revenues to roughly $15,000 weekly, an 80 per cent hit to the till.
Staff reduced
Erosion of the bottom line has sparked job cuts too, as she has had to reduce her women-only staff from six to two.
Contingencies to cushion the fallout include a 33 per cent reduction in hourly rates from $1,500 to $1,000, the manager said. The clamour for discounts
has risen in recent months, but she said further price reductions were impractical in an industry which has already become uneconomic. Staff cuts have also driven away business
.
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