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

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.

• 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

• 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

• 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
  

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

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

• 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
  

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

Advice: How To File For Unemployment and What To Do After Losing Your Job

• 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
  

• 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

• 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

• 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
  

• 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
  

• 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
  

• 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

• 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
  

Read More: $5 a Week & the State of Unemployment Benefits Across the US

• 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
  

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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.