CWRI

The COVID-19 pandemic led to unprecedented disruptions in the labor market, beginning in March of 2020. From February to April, 104,500 nonfarm jobs were lost, about 16 percent of the statewide total. The 532,800 jobs in April was the lowest monthly total since August of 1994.  Job Impact by Sector Job losses were heavily concentrated in sectors of the economy in which goods and services are delivered in-person and where close contact with customers or coworkers is required. Most job losses in March and April occurred in the leisure and hospitality, health care and social assistance, and retail trade sectors, as well as in educational services, which is spread across local and state government -- public schools, universities and community colleges -- and private schools – both K-12 and higher ed. Those sectors were impacted by a combination of public safety measures and changes in the types of activities that people engaged in as a result of the pandemic.  While most sectors o...