Workers across the country have already lost their jobs or been furloughed as businesses shutter in order to help stop the spread of coronavirus. Policymakers can help mitigate the economic harm this causes working families if they act quickly.
To provide a sense of the magnitude of the state-level shock, EPI has created this interactive map, which breaks down projected state-by-state job loss:
The effects of job loss will be felt in every industry and region and will be particularly severe in food service, accommodations, and brick-and-mortar retail. In Nevada, where two out of every five jobs are in leisure, hospitality, or retail, the state’s job losses could be nearly double the national average.
EPI has developed a slate of policy recommendations that will help state lawmakers support their community during this crisis, and we need your help to present these ideas to those leaders in a position to act on them. Help us inform state lawmakers what they can do to protect public health, mitigate economic harm for workers and businesses, and protect the most vulnerable households and communities.
Some of these actions include expanding access to unemployment insurance, bolstering direct income support programs such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), increasing funding for direct service providers such as homeless shelters and food banks, and using emergency powers to place a moratorium on evictions and utility shut-offs.
While stopping a recession at this point is impossible, state lawmakers can help soften the blow and help many whose lives are already upended.
