The .gov means it's official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information,
make sure you're on a federal government site.
The site is secure. The
https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any
information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.
Temporary layoffs remain high following unprecedented surge in early 2020
February 10, 2021
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States declared a national emergency in March 2020. Unemployment rose by 1.5 million in March, with a large increase in the number of job losers on temporary layoff—that is, those who were given a date to return to work or expected to return to work within 6 months. Before the pandemic, this group accounted for just over one-tenth of the total unemployed but expanded to more than one-fourth in March. In the months that followed, changes in the reason for unemployment reflected the evolving effects of the pandemic on the labor market.
Number of unemployed people by reason of unemployment, January 2020–January 2021
Month
Total unemployed
New entrants
Job leavers
Persons who completed temporary jobs
Reentrants
Permanent job losers
On temporary layoff
Jan 2020
5,796,000
560,000
828,000
630,000
1,831,000
1,305,000
640,000
Feb 2020
5,717,000
512,000
766,000
638,000
1,798,000
1,298,000
750,000
Mar 2020
7,185,000
526,000
716,000
634,000
1,772,000
1,517,000
2,047,000
Apr 2020
23,109,000
423,000
569,000
586,000
1,506,000
2,029,000
18,047,000
May 2020
20,975,000
539,000
561,000
668,000
1,613,000
2,306,000
15,297,000
Jun 2020
17,697,000
557,000
571,000
821,000
2,334,000
2,856,000
10,606,000
Jul 2020
16,308,000
513,000
579,000
818,000
2,315,000
2,843,000
9,230,000
Aug 2020
13,542,000
549,000
595,000
747,000
2,104,000
3,326,000
6,175,000
Sep 2020
12,535,000
535,000
808,000
754,000
2,123,000
3,661,000
4,624,000
Oct 2020
11,049,000
526,000
763,000
834,000
2,017,000
3,620,000
3,231,000
Nov 2020
10,728,000
551,000
698,000
987,000
1,968,000
3,718,000
2,762,000
Dec 2020
10,736,000
509,000
743,000
802,000
2,250,000
3,370,000
3,039,000
Jan 2021
10,130,000
542,000
653,000
749,000
1,963,000
3,503,000
2,746,000
In April 2020, the number of unemployed people who were on temporary layoff soared by 16.0 million to 18.0 million, reflecting the effects of the pandemic and efforts to contain it. The sudden influx of people on temporary layoff in April shifted the composition of unemployment drastically, as this group grew to account for more than three-fourths of the total unemployed.
The total number of unemployed people began to decrease in May—primarily among those on temporary layoff—when economic activity in many areas resumed on a limited basis. Although the number of unemployed people who were on temporary layoff was declining, the number of permanent job losers and the number of unemployed reentrants to the labor force both increased in June.
In October, the number of permanent job losers, at 3.6 million, surpassed the number of job losers on temporary layoff (3.2 million), and permanent job losers became the largest group among the unemployed. Following a surge in the number of coronavirus cases along with efforts to contain the pandemic, the number of people on temporary layoff increased again in December before receding in January. At the beginning of 2021, those on temporary layoff accounted for about one-fourth of the unemployed, and permanent job losers represented about one-third of the unemployed.
United States Department of Labor
