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13 May 2020
Brief

Millions More People Were Jobless Due to COVID-19 Than Indicated by Official Statistics

Sami Kitmitto, AIR
Heinrich Hock, NORC at the University of Chicago
Samia Amin, AIR
Irma Perez-Johnson, AIR

The U.S. Department of Labor reported that 23 million Americans were unemployed as of April 2020. While these numbers may seem shocking, the official count may exclude up to 8 million more who lost jobs or stopped looking for work between February and April. The rate of undercounting was particularly high for young adults and people with less education. Understanding the full impact of COVID-19 is important for policy decisions regarding support for the unemployed and vulnerable populations.

Infographic: COVID-19 Effects on U.S. Labor Force

Official unemployment rates include only people who are actively seeking work or on layoff with a clear expectation of being recalled to a job. This definition could result in a massive undercount during the pandemic due to stay-at-home orders that make it hard to search for work or result in uncertain job prospects.

This brief uses Bureau of Labor Statistics to provide a clearer picture of the impact of COVID-19 on joblessness.

PDF icon Millions More People Were Jobless Due to COVID-19 than Indicated by Official Statistics (PDF)

Related Work

1 Dec 2020
Spotlight

covid19-3-18-20-lkb-small-feat.jpg

Illustration of woman with cell phone

AIR’s COVID-19 Response and Resources

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. This virus, also known as COVID-19, has dramatically changed the lives of people around the globe, touching all aspects of life, from health care to education to the economy. In this new world of rapidly changing information about the virus, AIR seeks to be a source of evidence-based information that examines and begins to understand the various complexities of this crisis.
Topic: 
Education, Social and Emotional Learning, Technology for Teaching and Learning, Health, Health Cost and Coverage, Mental Health, Patient, Family, and Stakeholder Engagement, Trauma-Informed Care, Workforce, Adult Learning

Further Reading

  • AIR Informs Episode #7: The Real Unemployment Rate and Workplace After COVID-19
  • AIR’s COVID-19 Response and Resources
  • AIR 2020 Year in Review: Using Evidence and Practice in Response to COVID-19
  • AIR Informs: Responding to the Challenges of the COVID-19 Pandemic
  • American Institutes for Research Experts to Present About Education and Workforce at National Public Policy Conference
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Sami Kitmitto

Principal Researcher
Image of Samia Amin

Samia Amin

Principal Researcher and Practice Area Director
Irma Perez-Johnson

Irma Perez-Johnson

Vice President

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Workforce
Workforce Development

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