16 Million People Were Once Unemployed in 2021, A Figure Actually Better Than The Previous Year

During year two of the pandemic, 16.1 million people experienced unemployment at some point throughout the calendar year. The figure, although jarring, is a decrease of more than 10 million people who were out of work at some point in 2020.

According to a new report from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the labor market continued to improve throughout 2021, a year after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 63% of people age 16 and older, or 166.8 million, worked in 2021.

The number of men working at some point in 2021 was higher, 68% than the number of women, 58%.

Of the total amount of people who worked in 2021, 79% were employed year-round, an 8% jump from 2020.