More than 22 million Americans filed for unemployment in the last few weeks. According to analysis from the Kansas City Fed, 82% of the job losses were concentrated in three industries: leisure/hospitality, education/health, and retail trade. The economic pain of the shutdown is not shared equally. These industries employ many women without college degrees, they also bear the brunt of most of the job losses.
Many of these job losses include furloughed workers, who we hope will return to work as restrictions are lifted. Generous unemployment benefits should help while the economy is shut down. But if schools remain closed and summer programs are cancelled, many of the unemployed may not be able to return to work even if their jobs come back.
Allison Schrager is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute. Follow her on Twitter here.
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