The re-emergence of the labor market
- The labor market may have hit bottom in April and is on its way up–but very slowly.
- Most states are making slight gains, more so in the states that reopened earliest.
- Re-emergence spurs uptick of job seeker activity.
WEEK OF
+7.6% increase in job
seeker activity in May
Talroo Insights: Activity measured by high-intent job seeker clicks.
By the numbers
38 Million
people have filed for jobless aid since Covid-19 hit

3 Trillion
in aid has been spent on individuals and businesses through the CARES Act
50 States
at least partially reopened
* Sources: Labor Department, US Treasury Department, New York Times.
In April, all 50 states had reduced job seeker activity from the month prior. In May, 33 states had increased job seeker activity from the month prior. The re-opening of many states has started to turn the tide of job seeker activity.
Brief timeline
|
April 24th Georgia is the first state to nearly completely reopen. Restaurants, salons, tattoo parlors and other “high-touch” business are open – with guidelines. |
|
May 1st Texas becomes the next high-profile state to reopen, with capacity restrictions on restaurants. Salons and gyms will still need to wait a few more weeks. |
|
May 4th California, the earliest adopter of a lock-down, starts to allow construction and other outdoor business to resume. |
|
May 4th Florida allows restaurants and retail stores to reopen at limited capacity, as well as beaches and outdoor recreation areas. |
|
May 20th Illinois, under increasing pressure to reopen, announces restaurants and state parks will start to open. |
|
May 21st All 50 states have now at least partially reopened. |
Some of the biggest US states
start to bounce back
(but not all)
% change May vs. April 2020 (data to May 18)

*Talroo Insights: Activity measured by high-intent job seeker clicks.
Job seeker
activity overall
Texas: +1.4%
California: -9.9%
Florida: +7.0%
Illinois: +1.5%
Georgia: +5.8%
Warehouse / Logistics
Texas
Florida
Illinois
Georgia
WORK FROM HOME
+5% | Texas |
+13% | California |
+18% | Florida |
+31% | Illinois |
CAREGIVING
Florida: +41%
Illinois: +12%
Observations
While these numbers may change due to potential regional COVID breakouts, current data shows...
Illinois
Despite restrictions, Illinois job seeker numbers are inching up.
California
As one of the most cautious states, California has not started to truly come back yet.
Texas
Texas is slowly starting to trend upward, and the worst may be behind it.
Florida
Florida’s relatively early reopening has started to increase job seeker numbers.
Georgia
Georgia’s early reopening increased its overall search numbers, but the warehouse industry is disproportionately up.
Companies hiring
now nationally

For a deeper dive, visit our previous infographics:
COVID-19: Who’s Looking. Who’s Hiring.
talroo.com/covidCOVID-19: Job Trends & Market Milestones
blog.talroo.com/covid-19-job-trends-market-milestones*All data from Talroo Insights unless otherwise noted.
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