Young workers hit hardest by COVID-19

COVID-19 restrictions have caused an unemployment boom in the country that’s rivaled only by the Great Depression nearly a century ago. People from all demographics and age groups are losing their jobs, with some being more affected by the pandemic than others. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows how young, uneducated workers have been devastated by the virus.

In data from the BLS compiled by the Wall Street Journal, Americans aged 16-24 hit an astounding peak unemployment percent change of -30 percent from December to April. Those without a high school diploma were also very close to -30 percent, while adults aged 25-54 and those with a Bachelor’s degree were below the national average of roughly -15 percent unemployment percent change between December and April.

While unemployment rates have begun to recover over the last two months, young, uneducated workers aren’t recovering as fast as other workers in the country.

Data from the BLS shows that minorities, including Black, Hispanic and female adults, lost jobs at much faster rates compared to white males in the country. Subsequently, minority workers have also had slower recovery times in May and June for returning jobs. Hispanic workers, however, have been the fastest group to recover in the last two months.