US hiring hit by COVID-19

The coronavirus pandemic hit the U.S. swiftly, causing waves of closures of small businesses, restaurants and big retailers. And hiring is just starting to see the brunt of those effects, dropping 1.3% month-over-month in March — the largest drop in over four years. The losses haven’t been spread evenly. Hiring in cities like Atlanta, Seattle and St. Louis has been more resilient, while areas like New York City, Detroit and Los Angeles have been hit particularly hard. The same is true across industries: Hiring in software and IT services, public safety and legal has dipped slightly, while travel, entertainment and consumer goods have not fared as well.