Unemployment skyrocketed for young workers in the COVID-19 labor market: Unemployment rates in the spring of 2019 and 2020, by age, gender, and race/ethnicity
| Group | Ages 16–24 (2019) | Ages 16–24 (2020) | Ages 25+ (2019) | Ages 25+ (2020) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 8.4% | 16.0% | 2.8% | 8.5% |
| Men | 9.6% | 13.4% | 2.7% | 7.7% |
| Women | 7.3% | 18.6% | 2.9% | 9.4% |
| White | 7.2% | 13.9% | 2.3% | 7.3% |
| Black | 14.5% | 15.1% | 4.7% | 9.4% |
| Hispanic | 8.2% | 19.3% | 3.1% | 11.5% |
| AAPI | 6.4% | 23.3% | 2.1% | 10.7% |
Notes: Unemployment rates are compared using a pooled average of April, May, and June data in each year. Racial and ethnic categories are mutually exclusive. Hispanic refers to Hispanic/Latinx of any race while white, Black, and AAPI refers to non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic Blacks, and non-Hispanic Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders, respectively.
Source: Economic Policy Institute Current Population Survey Extracts, Version 1.0.9 (2020), https://microdata.epi.org.