The COVID-19 pandemic was far more damaging to the leisure and hospitality sector than the 2007-09 recession, according to a report released Thursday by the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton University.

The greater Atlantic City metropolitan area had the third largest employment decline in the nation in 2020, at almost 16%.

However, early signs point to positive rebound, according to the report.

“A key question that will loom over the regional economy as the national and regional recoveries play out over the remainder of 2021 and into 2022 is whether Atlantic City casino industry managers elect to return their physical properties’ personnel levels to pre-pandemic benchmarks or redirect resources to higher profit margin revenue streams which require far fewer brick and mortar workers,” said Stockton associate professor of economics Oliver Cooke, editor of the South Jersey Economic Report.