25 States Where Jobs Are Coming Back Fastest From COVID-19

Some states with big job losses from the pandemic are now gaining them back.

Typical american now hiring sign in black letters over the white background with local small business building

BublikHaus / Shutterstock

Sep. 03, 2020

As the United States battles the coronavirus, states must grapple with the pandemic’s astounding economic impacts. States that have taken aggressive actions to contain the virus have also been hit hard economically; the bet is that short-term pain will lead to longer-term, sustainable recovery. In the worst cases, states have both paid the price for strict controls and faced rising case counts due to quarantine fatigue.

According to Megan Greene of the Harvard Kennedy School, a key variable for recovery is "how comfortable people feel going out and spending money."

Consumers who have lost their jobs or feel at risk will be more cautious in their spending. They may face difficulty accessing credit or refinancing existing loans, further slowing consumer spending. Zero-interest credit cards and balance transfers to lower-interest cards may provide temporary relief but may cause downstream challenges if unemployment persists.

Ultimately, state economic outlooks are tied to virus control. "I don't think there is a balance between the economic recovery and pursuing public health goals — we will not have the former without the latter," says Greene.

These are the states that have been recovering the most jobs that were lost to COVID-19.

25. Alaska

Ketchikan, Alaska. Creek Street, the historic broadwalk. — emperorcosar / Shutterstock

Percentage of recovered jobs compared to February 2020: 5.98%

Jobs recovered from state's lowest level to June: 19,090
Total lost jobs from February 2020 to lowest level: 30,622
Percentage of lost jobs recovered: 62.34%

24. Oregon

Portland, Oregon, USA skyline at dusk with Mt. Hood in the distance. — Sean Pavone / Shutterstock

Percentage of recovered jobs compared to February 2020: 6.20%

Jobs recovered from state's lowest level to June: 125,350
Total lost jobs from February 2020 to lowest level: 232,095
Percentage of lost jobs recovered: 54.01%

23. Kentucky

Mare with her colt on pastures of horse farms. Country summer landscape. — Irina Mos / Shutterstock

Percentage of recovered jobs compared to February 2020: 6.82%

Jobs recovered from state's lowest level to June: 135,202
Total lost jobs from February 2020 to lowest level: 260,631
Percentage of lost jobs recovered: 51.87%

22. North Carolina

North Carolina Outer Banks Bodie Island Lighthouse Autumn Morning Marsh Boardwalk — MarkVanDykePhotography / Shutterstock

Percentage of recovered jobs compared to February 2020: 6.91%

Jobs recovered from state's lowest level to June: 341,101
Total lost jobs from February 2020 to lowest level: 836,057
Percentage of lost jobs recovered: 40.80%

21. South Carolina

Historical downtown area of Charleston, South Carolina, USA at twilight. — f11photo / Shutterstock

Percentage of recovered jobs compared to February 2020: 7.00%

Jobs recovered from state's lowest level to June: 162,567
Total lost jobs from February 2020 to lowest level: 242,691
Percentage of lost jobs recovered: 66.99%

20. Washington

View of downtown Seattle skyline in Seattle Washington, USA — f11photo / Shutterstock

Percentage of recovered jobs compared to February 2020: 7.01%

Jobs recovered from state's lowest level to June: 267,222
Total lost jobs from February 2020 to lowest level: 499,211
Percentage of lost jobs recovered: 53.53%

19. Wisconsin

Agriculture and rural life at winter background.Scenic winter view at Wisconsin, Midwest USA, Madison area. — MarynaG / Shutterstock

Percentage of recovered jobs compared to February 2020: 7.13%

Jobs recovered from state's lowest level to June: 211,984
Total lost jobs from February 2020 to lowest level: 353,211
Percentage of lost jobs recovered: 60.02%

18. Mississippi

A pusher boat in the Mississippi River near the Vicksburg Bridge in Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA. — Peek Creative Collective / Shutterstock

Percentage of recovered jobs compared to February 2020: 7.27%

Jobs recovered from state's lowest level to June: 87,140
Total lost jobs from February 2020 to lowest level: 191,910
Percentage of lost jobs recovered: 45.41%

17. Vermont

Panoramic view of Topsham village in Vermont — SNEHIT PHOTO / Shutterstock

Percentage of recovered jobs compared to February 2020: 7.28%

Jobs recovered from state's lowest level to June: 23,974
Total lost jobs from February 2020 to lowest level: 39,827
Percentage of lost jobs recovered: 60.20%

16. Hawaii

Hawaii panoramic Honolulu city travel landscape banner background of Waikiki beach and Diamond Head mountain peak at sunset, Oahu island, USA vacation. — Maridav / Shutterstock

Percentage of recovered jobs compared to February 2020: 7.35%

Jobs recovered from state's lowest level to June: 47,849
Total lost jobs from February 2020 to lowest level: 172,851
Percentage of lost jobs recovered: 27.68%

15. Delaware

Aerial view of Delaware Memorial Bridge at dusk. The Delaware Memorial Bridge is a set of twin suspension bridges crossing the Delaware River between the states of Delaware and New Jersey — Mihai_Andritoiu / Shutterstock

Percentage of recovered jobs compared to February 2020: 7.41%

Jobs recovered from state's lowest level to June: 34,734
Total lost jobs from February 2020 to lowest level: 74,120
Percentage of lost jobs recovered: 46.86%

14. Louisiana

New Orleans, Louisiana, USA street cars. — Sean Pavone / Shutterstock

Percentage of recovered jobs compared to February 2020: 8.00%

Jobs recovered from state's lowest level to June: 160,638
Total lost jobs from February 2020 to lowest level: 357,522
Percentage of lost jobs recovered: 44.93%

13. Oklahoma

Summertime Roadtrip, Side Road off of Route 66, Oklahoma — Danneellah / Shutterstock

Percentage of recovered jobs compared to February 2020: 8.07%

Jobs recovered from state's lowest level to June: 143,657
Total lost jobs from February 2020 to lowest level: 265,454
Percentage of lost jobs recovered: 54.12%

12. Maine

Aerial view of Bar Harbor, Maine. Bar Harbor is a town on Mount Desert Island in Hancock County, Maine and a popular tourist destination. — Mihai_Andritoiu / Shutterstock

Percentage of recovered jobs compared to February 2020: 8.15%

Jobs recovered from state's lowest level to June: 53,640
Total lost jobs from February 2020 to lowest level: 76,649
Percentage of lost jobs recovered: 69.98%

11. Illinois

Chicago skyline reflected in Buckingham Fountain. Chicago, Illinois, USA. — Henryk Sadura / Shutterstock

Percentage of recovered jobs compared to February 2020: 8.70%

Jobs recovered from state's lowest level to June: 531,695
Total lost jobs from February 2020 to lowest level: 1,043,253
Percentage of lost jobs recovered: 50.97%

10. Idaho

Boise Idaho street leading to the capital building in fall — Charles Knowles / Shutterstock

Percentage of recovered jobs compared to February 2020: 9.00%

Jobs recovered from state's lowest level to June: 77,774
Total lost jobs from February 2020 to lowest level: 87,222
Percentage of lost jobs recovered: 89.17%

9. Montana

American bison (Bison bison) bull in tall grass short-grass prairie, American Prairie Reserve, Eastern Montana, USA — Robert Mutch / Shutterstock

Percentage of recovered jobs compared to February 2020: 9.36%

Jobs recovered from state's lowest level to June: 48,007
Total lost jobs from February 2020 to lowest level: 56,300
Percentage of lost jobs recovered: 85.27%

8. Ohio

A Cleveland sign, one of three in the city, overlooking downtown from the near west side — Kenneth Sponsler / Shutterstock

Percentage of recovered jobs compared to February 2020: 9.42%

Jobs recovered from state's lowest level to June: 523,598
Total lost jobs from February 2020 to lowest level: 884,800
Percentage of lost jobs recovered: 59.18%

7. Utah

Evening light over North Window with Turret Arch in the distance, Arches National Park Utah — anthony heflin / Shutterstock

Percentage of recovered jobs compared to February 2020: 9.62%

Jobs recovered from state's lowest level to June: 152,917
Total lost jobs from February 2020 to lowest level: 160,796
Percentage of lost jobs recovered: 95.10%

6. Texas

Dallas City, Texas — Tavarius / Shutterstock

Percentage of recovered jobs compared to February 2020: 9.82%

Jobs recovered from state's lowest level to June: 1,353,280
Total lost jobs from February 2020 to lowest level: 2,515,686
Percentage of lost jobs recovered: 53.79%

5. New Hampshire

Mount Crawford White Mountains New Hampshire — Cole Stecyk / Shutterstock

Percentage of recovered jobs compared to February 2020: 10.02%

Jobs recovered from state's lowest level to June: 75,796
Total lost jobs from February 2020 to lowest level: 165,579
Percentage of lost jobs recovered: 45.78%

4. Rhode Island

Van Zant Pier after a rainstorm in Newport, Rhode Island. — Olga Enger / Shutterstock

Percentage of recovered jobs compared to February 2020: 10.47%

Jobs recovered from state's lowest level to June: 56,145
Total lost jobs from February 2020 to lowest level: 106,383
Percentage of lost jobs recovered: 52.78%

3. Indiana

Downtown Indianapolis skyline at twilight — f11photo / Shutterstock

Percentage of recovered jobs compared to February 2020: 11.50%

Jobs recovered from state's lowest level to June: 377,256
Total lost jobs from February 2020 to lowest level: 606,597
Percentage of lost jobs recovered: 62.19%

2. Michigan

Detroit is a major City and Urban Center in Michigan — Jacob Boomsma / Shutterstock

Percentage of recovered jobs compared to February 2020: 16.20%

Jobs recovered from state's lowest level to June: 773,320
Total lost jobs from February 2020 to lowest level: 1,296,945
Percentage of lost jobs recovered: 59.63%

1. Nevada

Sky Sajjaphot / Shutterstock

Percentage of recovered jobs compared to February 2020: 18.23%

Jobs recovered from state's lowest level to June: 275,868
Total lost jobs from February 2020 to lowest level: 516,607
Percentage of lost jobs recovered: 53.40%

About the Author

Deb Gordon is a writer for MoneyGeek and the author of "The Health Care Consumer's Manifesto (Praeger 2020)" about consumer markets in health care based on research she conducted as a senior fellow in the Harvard Kennedy School's Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government. She previously held executive roles in health care companies. She has published in the Harvard Business Review blog, USA Today, RealClear Politics and TheHill. Deb is an Aspen Institute Health Innovators Fellow, an Eisenhower Fellow, a former Boston Business Journal 40-under-40 honoree and a volunteer in MIT's Delta V start-up accelerator. She earned a B.A. in bioethics from Brown University and an MBA with distinction from Harvard Business School.

Sources

CNBC. “Weekly jobless claims rise by more than 1 million for 17th straight week.” Accessed July 19, 2020.

About the Author

MoneyGeek

MoneyGeek Editorial Team

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25 States Where Jobs Are Coming Back Fastest From COVID-19

25. Alaska

24. Oregon

23. Kentucky

22. North Carolina

21. South Carolina

20. Washington

19. Wisconsin

18. Mississippi

17. Vermont

16. Hawaii

15. Delaware

14. Louisiana

13. Oklahoma

12. Maine

11. Illinois

10. Idaho

9. Montana

8. Ohio

7. Utah

6. Texas

5. New Hampshire

4. Rhode Island

3. Indiana

2. Michigan

1. Nevada

About the Author

Sources

About the Author

MoneyGeek

MoneyGeek Editorial Team

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