The pandemic decimated labor markets last spring. The figure above from Indeed's hiring lab show the percent change in online job listings from February 1st to May 1st in 2020. All over the country, job listings fell about 40%. Since then the recovery has been uneven. States like Texas, Arizona, and Florida have more postings than they did at this time last year. While in New York, California, and Illinois job listings are still down. This may reflect states that are more open have had a stronger recovery. The differences also reflect that some industries, like tourism, still have not fully recovered in some states. Larger metro areas also have also been slower to recover. These trends may change as more people get vaccinated. But so far it seems the Sun Belt is where the jobs are.
Allison Schrager is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute. Follow her on Twitter here.
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