Unemployment Rates During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a significant effect on labor market metrics for every state, economic sector, and major demographic group in the United States. This report provides information on unemployment rates, labor force participation rates, and nonfarm payrolls in the United States during the ongoing pandemic. It presents CRS analysis of overall unemployment rate trends during the pandemic. The report first examines these trends nationally, and at the state and industrial levels. Next, it examines how unemployment rates varied across demographic groups. The report then repeats this analysis, where appropriate, for the labor force participation rate, which sheds light on the size of the workforce willing and available for work. The final portion of the report analyzes the impact the pandemic has had on overall employment and by sector.