Toni Irizarry recognizes that the economy has improved. Compared with the first wave of the pandemic, when Las Vegas went dark, and joblessness soared to levels not seen since the Great Depression, these are days of relative normalcy. Ms. Irizarry, 64, oversees a cafe at the Orleans Hotel and Casino, a property just off the Las Vegas Strip that caters mostly to locals. Guests have returned, filling the blackjack and roulette tables amid the cacophony of jingling slot machines — the sound of money. Her paychecks have allowed her to purchase a home, raise three children and buy each of them their first car.

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Persons: Toni Irizarry, Irizarry Organizations: Las Vegas, Orleans, Vegas Locations: Casino