The question arose on Organizations and Markets, which industries will be next to hold out their hands for bailout money? Will the massage and sexual favours industry be there in line?
A column in Slate shed some light on this topic. It seems that the high end of the industry may thrive during times of adversity.
One thing I’ve learned is that economic downturns can be boom times for high-end sex workers. Sex workers of the past waited on street corners, outside bars, and around parks, and their transactions were fleeting and usually for a few dollars. Today’s high-end sex workers see themselves as therapists, part of a vast metropolitan wellness industry that includes private chefs and yoga teachers. Many have regular clients who visit them several times per month, paying them not only for sex but also for comfort and affirmation.
“All I did was make them feel like they could go back out there with their head up.”
Keeping their peckers up, as they say in England (beware of Transatlantic misunderstanding).
But it helps to diversify the client base.
Caroline learned quickly that she had to diversify in order to survive these cycles. Now, she never has more than half of her clients in one economic sector. “I always have lawyers, very dependable. And I never have too many stock brokers. They’re a real pain in the ass. I’ve never heard anyone whine more than them.” But Caroline may be an exception. Most high-end workers find their clients via word of mouth. They can easily become lodged in one sector, rising or falling with the economic tide.