8 ways the pandemic changed America
After three summers of living with COVID-19, government data reveals how the pandemic altered American life in far-reaching ways. Some of the changes have stayed; others have returned to pre-pandemic levels. Metrics from the worlds of immigration, entertainment, education, and many more provide perspective on how the nation responded to the virus, and how the virus changed life in the United States.
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- Americans quitting their jobs comprised 60% of all job separations in February 2020. Quits were 18% of all job separations in April 2020, an eight-year low. Two years later, quit rates were at a 22-year high, with 4.4 million people quitting in April 2022 — making up 73% of all separations.
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- Americans spent $75.6 billion on experiential services such as arts, entertainment, and recreation in the first quarter of 2020. Three months later, spending dropped to $37.6 billion.
- The State Department issued 38% fewer immigrant visas and 68% fewer non-immigrant visas in 2021 compared with 2019. COVID-19 regulations also made it more difficult for migrants to receive asylum.
- The accommodation industry, which includes hotels and resorts, had a 62% decline in revenue between the first and second quarters of 2020. The industry earned a historic high revenue in the final quarter of 2021: $79.6 billion.
Learn more about how the pandemic has affected American lives in this new article — including how COVID-19 influenced school enrollment and even how people watch television.
What COVID-19 meant for jails
COVID-19 also hastened the release of many inmates. Data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics paints a picture of how the nation’s jail populations decreased in the first months of the pandemic for an overall 25% drop in 2020.
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- Among the 50 counties with the largest populations overall, Denver County, Colo., had the largest decrease, cutting its jail population by more than half.
- Inmates held for misdemeanor charges were more likely to be released than those held for felony charges, decreasing by 44%.
- Expedited release wasn’t the only reason for shrinking jail populations: there were also fewer people admitted to jail in early 2020. Arrests fell 25% from 2019 to 2020, a time when more people started working from home and states instituted restrictions on businesses.
Track arrest data from the pandemic and decades prior with this article.
The weekly quiz is back
Have you studied up on the facts in this newsletter? Test your data knowledge with the latest USAFacts quiz!
One last fact
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Which five counties gained the most residents ages 65 and older from 2010 to 2020? Orange County, Calif. gained 145,698 people in the age group, a 41.4% increase. What four counties had more new senior residents? Find out on our Instagram page, and check your county’s growth with Our Changing Population.
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