Jobs day

Measuring the job shortfall since February 2020 : Actual and counterfactual employment, September 2019–March 2021

Date Actual nonfarm payroll employment Employment if it had continued growing at the pre-recession level Employment if it had grown with population growth since February 2020
Sep-2019 151,329
Oct-2019 151,524
Nov-2019 151,758
Dec-2019 151,919
Jan-2020 152,234
Feb-2020 152,523 152,523 152,523
Mar-2020 150,840 152,725 152,577
Apr-2020 130,161 152,928 152,631
May-2020 132,994 153,130 152,685
Jun-2020 137,840 153,332 152,738
Jul-2020 139,566 153,535 152,792
Aug-2020 141,149 153,737 152,846
Sep-2020 141,865 153,939 152,900
Oct-2020 142,545 154,142 152,954
Nov-2020 142,809 154,344 153,008
Dec-2020 142,503 154,546 153,061
Jan-2021 142,736 154,749 153,115
Feb-2021 143,204 154,951 153,169
Mar-2021 144,120 155,153 153,223
ChartData Download data

The data below can be saved or copied directly into Excel.

Notes: Payroll employment growth averaged 202,000 in the 12 months leading up to the pandemic recession. Population-adjusted employment growth applies population growth in the latest month since February 2020 to payroll employment and interpolates in the intervening years. Seasonally adjusted population growth is backed out from seasonally adjusted data on employment and EPOPs.

Source: EPI analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics Current Population Survey public data series.

Copy the code below to embed this chart on your website.

Previous chart: «

Next chart: »