Employers Eliminated More Than 20 Million Jobs in April, Report Says

WASHINGTON – U.S. private sector employers cut 20.2 million jobs from their payrolls in April, a stunning sign of just what the coronavirus outbreak has done to the economy in a relatively short time.
In a report released Wednesday, ADP, the payroll processing company, says no single sector of the economy has been untouched by the pandemic.
The deepest cuts came in the leisure and hospitality sector, which shed 8.6 million workers last month.
Utilities and trade and transportation related companies cut 3.4 million from their payrolls, while construction firms let 2.5 million go.
Manufacturers trimmed about 1.7 million from their payrolls, and the health care sector shed about 1 million jobs.
More than half of April’s job losses came from smaller companies with 500 workers or fewer. But larger employers cut 8.9 million jobs.
If there was one bright spot in Wednesday’s report, it was in the area of education service, which saw a modest gain of about 28,000.
The ADP report comes two days ahead of the official monthly job figures from the U.S. Labor Department.
Economists believe the Friday report will reveal unemployment in the U.S. stands at about 16%, up from 4.4% in March.
In The News
Health
Voting
Economy

AUSTIN, Texas – It was a dire situation that Lloyd Armbrust can almost laugh about now. A global pandemic had swept across the United States, a baby was on the way, and Armbrust, hard as he tried, could not find a supply of a critical element... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and Democrats agreed to tighten eligibility limits for stimulus checks, bowing to party moderates as leaders prepared to move their $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill through the Senate. At the same time, the White House and top Democrats stood by... Read More

WASHINGTON -- Airline industry officials made a plea Tuesday for additional federal assistance to help their deeply wounded businesses recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. They asked a congressional committee for another round of Payroll Support Program funds, not only to keep their workers employed, but in... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden urged Senate Democrats to rally behind a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill and stood by his proposed $1,400 payments to individuals, even as some party moderates sought to dial back parts of the package."He said we need to pass this... Read More

LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Gov. Greg Abbott rescinded the state’s face mask mandate Tuesday afternoon, declaring that it’s time for Texans to get back to business. “Under no circumstance can someone be punished for not wearing a mask,” Abbott said as he was surrounded by local... Read More

WASHINGTON - The Department of Labor’s apprenticeship programs benefit individuals seeking to master skills while gainfully employed, and provides employers with the talent needed to fill the current workforce shortage, according to two Congressmen yesterday. Apprenticeships differ from paid internships in that they are not temporary,... Read More