An Unemployment Crisis after the Onset of COVID-19

RePEc Short ID: ppe260
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-2216-110X

Petrosky-Nadeau, Nicolas; Valletta, Robert G.

Journal Article

An Unemployment Crisis after the Onset of COVID-19

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has upended the U.S. labor market, with massive job losses and a spike in unemployment to its highest level since the Great Depression. How long unemployment will remain at crisis levels is highly uncertain and will depend on the speed and success of coronavirus containment measures. Historical patterns of monthly flows in and out of unemployment, adjusted for unique aspects of the coronavirus economy, can help in assessing potential paths of unemployment. Unless hiring rises to unprecedented levels, unemployment could remain severely elevated well into next year.

Keywords: labor; pandemic; COVID-19; unemployment;