In December 2019, 159 million people were employed in the US. The unemployment rate sat at 3.6%. Between February and April, as the pandemic ramped up, almost 25 million Americans lost their jobs, sending the unemployment rate up to a record 14.8%. By the end of 2020, many Americans who lost employment in the spring had returned to work, but there were still roughly 9 million fewer people at work in the US compared to one year earlier.
Which occupations shed the most jobs in 2020 and who did that affect? Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) illuminates the employment change by occupation and shows how lower-income workers have been particularly affected by job loss during the pandemic.
