Workforce Data (and Knowledge) Under Pressure

In the frst half of 2020, more than 40 million people fled an initial unemployment insurance claim, and according to the U.S. Department of Labor, over 33 million people were collecting benefts—both all-time highs (see Figure 1). As a result of COVID-19 and its efect on the economy, nearly every county in the United States experienced record unemployment growth in April, with little improvement since.