In the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ June 2022 jobs report, the number of unemployed Americans remained essentially unchanged at 5.9 million, or 3.6% of the population.
In February 2020, before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, 3.5% were unemployed, or 5.7 million Americans.
The report says the number of Americans employed part-time for economic reasons fell by 707,000 to 3.6 million in June and is down from 4.4 million in February 2020. These people are working part-time because their working hours have been reduced, but they would prefer full-time employment and could not find full-time employment in June.
People who are inactive and not looking for work, but want to work, remained unchanged at 5.7 million. In February 2020, that number was 5 million.
The pandemic has encouraged 7.1% of employed Americans to work from home. This figure is down from 7.4% in May and refers to employed people who worked from home for pay at some point in the four weeks preceding the survey, specifically because of COVID-19.
“Today’s jobs report, showing the private sector clawed back all the jobs lost during the pandemic, underscores that while the media focuses on Wall Street volatility, the main street economy continues. to bounce back,” said Congressman Don Beyer of Virginia, President of the United States. The Joint Economic Committee of Congress (JEC), said Friday in a statement. “America’s businesses are hiring because of the Democrats’ response to the pandemic, which has saved lives, supported American workers and families, and strengthened communities.”
The unemployment rate for black workers was reported at 5.8% by the BLS, 4.3% for Hispanic workers, 3% for Asian workers and 5% for Native American and Alaska Native workers.
“Since President Biden took office, the United States has created nearly 9 million jobs nationwide and the unemployment rate has fallen to near pre-pandemic levels,” said Beyer in the press release. “The U.S. bailout and other pandemic relief has ensured employers in the U.S. remain willing and able to hire, allowing workers to get better jobs at higher pay. raised.”
Beyer said unemployment continued to fall in black communities, which have been hit particularly hard by the pandemic, but more work is needed to address “racial disparities and ensure economic growth is broadly shared” in the states. -United.
“While Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, combined with fragile global supply chains, has led to higher inflation and energy prices around the world, the U.S. economy, fueled by strongest household balance sheets this century, continues to create jobs,” Beyer said. “These are not easy economic times as rising prices rob American workers and families of all the benefits of the recovery. But as Republicans propose policies to raise taxes for nearly half of individuals and families, Democrats in Congress and the Biden administration are using every tool at our disposal to cut costs for families and promote growth. broad-based.