Weekly Insights: COVID-19, The Labor Market & Jobs

June 18, 2020 —  Each week, Indeed shares the latest information on the impact COVID-19 is having on the labor market, job seekers and employers.

Here’s what happened the week of June 15, 2020

• Vice President of Diversity, Inclusion, & Belonging LaFawn Davis shared her response to the Black Lives Matter movement with Lead with Indeed, and 10 ways employers can take action right now to build a safe place for all employees to feel heard and supported. 
  • Lead with Indeed launched last week to provide employers, recruiters and leaders with resources to help rebuild hiring. 
• Chief Economist Jed Kolko appeared on Fox Business to discuss job opportunities in the U.S., explaining that there is a slight increase in demand for talent in industries that were impacted by the coronavirus. These sectors include dental, beauty & wellness, food preparation, and driving. 
• Jed Kolko contributed to The New York Times’ “TheUpshot” column highlighting “core” vs. “headline” unemployment numbers. He explains, “the core unemployment rate is a guide to whether we’re headed toward the kind of prolonged slowdown that has followed previous recessions.”
• Indeed released a list of recommended courses on diversity and inclusion for a better, stronger workplace.
• Companies are still hiring. Over 500,000 jobs are added to Indeed each week in the U.S. alone. Here are just some of the companies who are hiring right now:
  • The Home Depot
  • Apple
  • Booz Allen Hamilton
  • AutoZone
  • McDonald’s
  • Taco Bell
• So far in 2020, the trend in job postings, a real-time measure of labor market activity, was 31% lower than in 2019, as of June 12, the sixth week of gradual improvement.
• Indeed has rolled out several product updates to help those whose jobs have been impacted by COVID-19. More information on how job seekers can use these tools to quickly and easily connect with employers in a way that reflects the social distancing and shelter-in-place measures can be found here.