国会研究服务部-新冠疫情大流行期间的失业率（英文）-2021.5-27页_3mb

Summary of Unemployment Rates During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Core Content

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had a profound impact on the U.S. labor market, affecting unemployment rates, labor force participation rates, and nonfarm payrolls across all states, economic sectors, and demographic groups. This report provides a detailed analysis of these trends, highlighting the disproportionate effects on certain groups and sectors, as well as the economic recovery and policy responses.

Main Findings

National Unemployment Rate Trends

• The unemployment rate peaked at 14.8% in April 2020, the highest since data collection began in 1948.
• By April 2021, the rate had declined to 6.1%, still 2.6 percentage points higher than in February 2020 (3.5%).
• The unemployment rate declined rapidly after April 2020 due to the return of temporarily furloughed workers to employment.
• The share of permanently laid off workers has steadily increased since the peak.

Labor Force Participation Rate

• The labor force participation rate dropped to 60.2% in April 2020, the lowest since the early 1970s.
• By April 2021, it had recovered slightly to 61.7%, but remained 1.7 percentage points below the pre-recession level (January 2020).
• The decline in labor force participation was driven by individuals leaving the labor force due to pandemic-related disruptions.

Nonfarm Payrolls

• Nonfarm payrolls lost 22.1 million jobs between January 2020 and April 2020.
• By April 2021, employment remained 7.9 million jobs below the pre-recession level.

Unemployment by Sector

• The leisure and hospitality sector experienced the largest job losses and had the highest unemployment rates during the pandemic.
• Mining and extraction sectors also saw significant increases in unemployment, with the highest rate in April 2021 at 14.3%.
• Government, financial activities, and education and health services sectors had relatively low unemployment rates.
• Some workers within sectors were more affected than others, especially low-wage workers in the leisure and hospitality sector.

Unemployment by Demographic Group

• Youth unemployment (ages 16-19) peaked sharply in April 2020, with 36.3% for women and 28.2% for men.
• By April 2021, the gap between younger men and women had reversed, with teenaged men having a slightly higher unemployment rate than teenaged women.
• Black and Hispanic workers experienced higher unemployment peaks and steeper declines in labor force participation compared to other groups.
• Workers with lower educational attainment had higher unemployment rates and lower labor force participation throughout the pandemic.
• Workers with a Bachelor's degree or higher had the lowest unemployment rates and highest labor force participation.

Policy Responses and Economic Impact

• Stimulus checks, expanded nutrition assistance, and refundable tax credits were enacted to support families and boost consumer spending.
• The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) provided loans that could be forgiven if used to maintain payrolls.
• Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits were expanded and extended, which may have increased the duration of unemployment for some workers, but also increased consumer spending.
• The causal impact of these policies on unemployment is not fully analyzed in this report.

Data Limitations and Caveats

• Data collection challenges arose due to lower survey response rates and categorization errors in the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data.
• Unemployment rates and labor force participation trends are not tested for statistical significance.
• Non-seasonally adjusted data should be interpreted with caution, as they may reflect seasonal variations.
• Sector-specific data may not be fully accurate due to data processing errors.

Conclusion

The COVID-19 pandemic caused an unprecedented and rapid decline in the U.S. labor market, with unemployment rates and labor force participation significantly affected. Certain groups and sectors, such as Black and Hispanic workers, youth, and low-educated workers, were disproportionately impacted. While economic conditions have improved, unemployment remains elevated, and labor force participation has not fully recovered. The report highlights the need for continued monitoring and policy support to aid in the recovery of the labor market.