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After initially predicting that the coronavirus would threaten 25 million jobs, the chief of the International Labour Organization (ILO) revised its forecast in April 2020 to predict that full or partial lockdown orders would impact the equivalent of . The ILO's report from Sept. 23, 2020, shows how conservative that estimate was: The equivalent of 495 million full-time jobs have been , with more expected. The job losses are contributing to an increase in the inequality between richer and poorer countries.

When elective procedures were suspended to reserve services for COVID-19 patients in the early months of the pandemic, many U.S. hospitals and health care systems experienced a revenue crunch. Layoffs and furloughs affected workers at  in April, May, and June, according to Becker’s Hospital CFO Report. The back half of the summer saw some states allow elective procedures; but some have still to return to to work. Twenty-two hospitals  in September.

As concern about COVID-19 began growing in early March, companies took measures to protect their employees. A survey of 158 national and multinational firms in North America found that  had implemented a remote work policy as of early March. By June around 35% of American workers had moved to remote working, . Some companies, , made remote working permanent. But many others had their workers return to offices, prompting and the to publish guidelines and best practices to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 transmission in the workplace. 

The coronavirus pandemic has caused record layoffs in the U.S. In March and April 2020,  for unemployment benefits.  unemployment rate shattered records. After steady improvements, figures in July showed the economy was backsliding, and the latest numbers from September show and a sluggish economy.

Workers who've lost their jobs could receive an  in their unemployment benefits as part of the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program. The program ended in July, eventually replaced with a $300/week supplement after Congress failed to pass another stimulus bill. The $300 payments have ended in most states. 

Using federal employment data, researchers at the University of Washington estimated in early March that  are exposed to COVID-19 or other infections at least once a month. What’s more, 14.4 million workers may be exposed to infection once a week.

Unemployment benefits usually provide workers with about 40% of lost wages—but that changed with the $600 supplement. Unemployment benefits during the time the federal government added $600/week were equal to or higher than typical wages for the lost jobs in , according to Ernie Tedeschi, an economist at Evercore ISI. 

In May the House of Representatives passed a that would have included hazard pay for essential workers. The Senate did not take it up and President Trump promised to veto the bill if they did. 

From March 13–26, 2020, around who fell behind on their student loan payments had their wages garnished by the Department of Education. They’ve proposed a that alleges the garnished wages are .

Amid surging online orders during the pandemic, Amazon increased the minimum hourly pay for associates from through May. Despite offering a small pay bump, the online retailer has been criticized for" and tell its employees about confirmed cases of coronavirus, a problem .

As of Oct. 28, 2020, 1,336 health care workers have died from COVID-19, from Kaiser Health News and the Guardian US. Many of the deaths—122—were in April, after the initial surge of the virus on the East Coast.

deemed essential during the pandemic are women, according to an analysis from The New York Times, whose Campbell Robertson and Robert Gebeloff write that “one in three jobs held by women has been designated as essential.”

When millions of workers were furloughed in the early months of the pandemic, they assumed it would only be a month or two before they were back at work. But many temporary furloughs became permanent and are predicted to become permanent if they're not already: By some estimates, as many as half of the workers experiencing temporary layoffs and furloughs won't return to their jobs, .

Walt Disney World laid off 28,000 workers at the end of September, mostly in its Florida theme park. The company furloughed around  in April. 

The option to work from home during the pandemic can vary widely depending on the income level of workers, according to the . It found in April that 71% of workers in the top income quintile were working remotely, but only 42% of workers in the bottom income level were telecommuting.

Half of American households say that they or someone in their household have lost their job or had their hours cut as a result of the coronavirus, according to  conducted by NPR, PBS NewsHour, and Marist. That number was up from 18% of Americans who said they or someone else at home had been let go or lost hours from the coronavirus in March.

Recovering from the financial hit of the coronavirus pandemic may take  for blue-collar workers and small-business employees, according to an analysis by PayScale. Experts warn that the financial devastation many workers have experienced will “exacerbate inequality” in the U.S.

in some states collapsed from the influx of applicants who lost their job during the pandemic. As a result, only, according to the Economic Policy Institute.

Workers in the transportation sector saw wages increase 3.2% over the past year, with the majority of growth occurring during the pandemic, according to the . The increased wages are attributed to a higher demand for delivered goods for Americans staying at home.

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted the travel industry. About in the hospitality and leisure industry, according to the American Hotel & Lodging Association.

A $25 billion bailout staved off mass airline layoffs in March, keeping employees paid through September. But Congress didn't extend the lifeline, resulting in 35,000 airline  on Oct. 1, 2020.

Women make up 47% of the global labor force, but accounted for 54% of the early coronavirus-related job losses, according to a . Another 2020 show the dire consequences of the unequal burden women face with childcare: About one in five working mothers in the U.S. are considering leaving the workforce temporarily (compared with 11% of working fathers). Another 15% reported "dialing back" their careers. Nearly a quarter of women with young children may leave their jobs permanently.

Low-wage workers face a disproportionately high risk of job loss due to COVID-19, according to research from McKinsey & Company. The report found that  offered annual wages of less than $40,000.

The in March amid mandatory closures to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Restaurant Business’ Jonathan Maze states that the number is and does not reflect the full brunt the restaurant industry has taken during the crisis.

Nearly  have been experiencing mental stress systems, like trouble focusing, nightmares, depression, and rage during the pandemic, according to a Monster report. Around 27% of workers have had physical health problems, like back pain, insomnia, and weight fluctuation.

The pandemic has caused a budget crisis for colleges and universities across the country as schools are spending millions on virus control measures while their student enrollment numbers drop. In late October, The New York Times reported that schools such as Ohio Wesleyan University and the University of California at Berkeley are to some humanities programs, while other schools are furloughing faculty and staff. Ithaca College in New York has planned to cut 131 full-time jobs, and has already furloughed 167 nonfaculty staff members, according to the Times.