The Unemployment Rate in the 25 Places Hit Hardest by COVID-19

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The coronavirus pandemic has not only affected the health and lives of millions of Americans, but it has also affected people’s livelihoods, with many people losing their jobs as a result of lockdowns, closures and a suffering economy. Some of the places that have been hit hardest by the pandemic in terms of positive cases and deaths have also been hit hard by unemployment — in some of these areas, unemployment reached 15% or greater as of August.

To see how unemployment looks in these areas, GOBankingRates found the 25 counties hardest hit in terms of total cases — ranked from lowest total cases to most — and then found the unemployment rate as of August 2020.

Take a closer look at unemployment rates in these areas that have suffered from more coronavirus cases.

Last updated: Oct. 29, 2020

25. Wayne County, Michigan

August 2020 unemployment: 10.2%
Total cases: 38,146
Cases per 100,000: 2,181
Percentage of state’s cases: 23.7%
Total deaths: 3,022

24. Westchester County, New York

August 2020 unemployment: 13%
Total cases: 39,476
Cases per 100,000: 4,080
Percentage of state’s cases: 8.2%
Total deaths: 1,467

23. Salt Lake County, Utah

August 2020 unemployment: 4.7%
Total cases: 40,713
Cases per 100,000: 3,508
Percentage of state’s cases: 43.1%
Total deaths: 288

22. Orange County, Florida

August 2020 unemployment: 11%
Total cases: 43,453
Cases per 100,000: 3,118
Percentage of state’s cases: 5.8%
Total deaths: 530

21. Hillsborough County, Florida

August 2020 unemployment: 6.8%
Total cases: 45,455
Cases per 100,000: 3,088
Percentage of state’s cases: 6%
Total deaths: 750

20. Suffolk County, New York

August 2020 unemployment: 13%
Total cases: 48,029
Cases per 100,000: 3,253
Percentage of state’s cases: 9.9%
Total deaths: 2,018

19. Nassau County, New York

August 2020 unemployment: 13%
Total cases: 48,596
Cases per 100,000: 3,581
Percentage of state’s cases: 10%
Total deaths: 2,208

18. Palm Beach County, Florida

August 2020 unemployment: 8.5%
Total cases: 49,011
Cases per 100,000: 3,274
Percentage of state’s cases: 6.5%
Total deaths: 1,490

17. San Diego County, California

August 2020 unemployment: 9.9%
Total cases: 51,982
Cases per 100,000: 1,557
Percentage of state’s cases: 5.9%
Total deaths: 853

16. Tarrant County, Texas

August 2020 unemployment: 6.3%
Total cases: 53,629
Cases per 100,000: 2,551
Percentage of state’s cases: 6.4%
Total deaths: 783

15. Bronx County, New York

August 2020 unemployment: 13%
Total cases: 54,409
Cases per 100,000: 3,836
Percentage of state’s cases: 11.2%
Total deaths: 4,978

14. Orange County, California

August 2020 unemployment: 15%
Total cases: 56,868
Cases per 100,000: 1,791
Percentage of state’s cases: 6.5%
Total deaths: 1,409

13. San Bernardino County, California

August 2020 unemployment: 11%
Total cases: 59,696
Cases per 100,000: 2,738
Percentage of state’s cases: 6.8%
Total deaths: 1,021

12. Riverside County, California

August 2020 unemployment: 11%
Total cases: 63,284
Cases per 100,000: 2,562
Percentage of state’s cases: 7.2%
Total deaths: 1,269

11. Bexar County, Texas

August 2020 unemployment: 6.6%
Total cases: 63,328
Cases per 100,000: 3,161
Percentage of state’s cases: 7.6%
Total deaths: 1,381

10. Kings County, New York

August 2020 unemployment: 13%
Total cases: 73,123
Cases per 100,000: 2,856
Percentage of state’s cases: 15.1%
Total deaths: 7,370

9. Clark County, Nevada

August 2020 unemployment: 15.5%
Total cases: 74,950
Cases per 100,000: 3,307
Percentage of state’s cases: 83%
Total deaths: 1,469

8. Queens County, New York

August 2020 unemployment: 13%
Total cases: 75,109
Cases per 100,000: 3,332
Percentage of state’s cases: 15.5%
Total deaths: 7,286

7. Broward County, Florida

August 2020 unemployment: 8.5%
Total cases: 81,107
Cases per 100,000: 4,153
Percentage of state’s cases: 10.7%
Total deaths: 1,510

6. Dallas County, Texas

August 2020 unemployment: 6.3%
Total cases: 89,433
Cases per 100,000: 3,393
Percentage of state’s cases: 10.7%
Total deaths: 1,194

5. Maricopa County, Arizona

August 2020 unemployment: 5.9%
Total cases: 149,720
Cases per 100,000: 3,338
Percentage of state’s cases: 64.8%
Total deaths: 3,510

4. Harris County, Texas

August 2020 unemployment: 8.1%
Total cases: 153,955
Cases per 100,000: 3,266
Percentage of state’s cases: 18.4%
Total deaths: 2,728

3. Cook County, Illinois

August 2020 unemployment: 11.7%
Total cases: 163,912
Cases per 100,000: 3,183
Percentage of state’s cases: 47.6%
Total deaths: 5,357

2. Miami-Dade County, Florida

August 2020 unemployment: 8.5%
Total cases: 178,354
Cases per 100,000: 6,565
Percentage of state’s cases: 23.6%
Total deaths: 3,540

1. Los Angeles County, California

August 2020 unemployment: 15%
Total cases: 288,451
Cases per 100,000: 2,873
Percentage of state’s cases: 33%
Total deaths: 6,876

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Methodology: In order to discover the unemployment rate in the 50 places hit hardest by COVID-19, GOBankingrates first found the 25 counties hardest hit in terms of total cases and total deaths as of Oct. 19, 2020. With these 50 cities isolated, GOBankingRates then found the following factors for all 50 cities: (1) its corresponding metropolitan statistical area as sourced from the Office of Management and Budget: Revised Delineations of Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) report; (2) August 2020 unemployment rate for its MSA; (3) total cases of COVID-19; (4) cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 people; (4) percent of its state’s cases that it represents; and (5) total deaths caused by COVID-19. All data was collected on and up to date as of Oct. 20, 2020.