Young workers are heavily represented in the industries most affected by COVID-19 shutdowns: Share of workers ages 16–24 and workers ages 25+ in major sectors, 2019; sectors ranked by percent change in employment between February and May 2020
| Industry | Ages 16–24 | Ages 25+ |
|---|---|---|
| Leisure and hospitality <br>(-41.0%) | 25.8% | 7.4% |
| Other services (-18.9%) | 4.90% | 4.90% |
| Retail trade (-12.8%) | 18.9% | 9.4% |
| Education services (-12.6%) | 7.10% | 9.40% |
| Information (-11.2%) | 1.6% | 1.8% |
| Professional and business services (-9.9%) | 8.40% | 13.30% |
| Health care and social assistance (-9.2%) | 10.20% | 14.40% |
| Manufacturing (-8.7%) | 6.8% | 10.6% |
| Construction (-8.2%) | 5.6% | 7.7% |
| Public administration (-6.5%) | 1.80% | 5.00% |
| Wholesale Trade (-6.3%) | 1.40% | 2.40% |
| Financial activities (-2.9%) | 3.60% | 7.30% |
Note: Agriculture is omitted from this list because data for this sector are not available in the payroll employment data; mining is omitted because it accounts for less than 1% of total employment.
Source: Authors’ analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics Current Employment Statistics and Economic Policy Institute Current Population Survey Extracts, Version 1.0.9 (2020), https://microdata.epi.org.