Coronavirus pandemic leaving some Asian-Americans jobless for longer: study
- In the last three months of 2020, almost half of jobless Asians had been out of work for at least 27 weeks – more than white, black or Hispanic Americans
- Many Asian-Americans work in industries particularly vulnerable to business closures, including the hospitality, leisure and retail sectors
The 5.9 per cent unemployment rate among the roughly 10 million-strong Asian workforce in December was below the national rate. But in the final three months of 2020, almost half of jobless Asians had been out of work for at least 27 weeks – a bigger share than white, black or Hispanic Americans.
The reasons are largely economic and geographic. Many work in industries particularly vulnerable to business closures, and almost one-third of Asian-Americans live in California, one of the states hit hardest by pandemic restrictions.
Ivy Nguyen, a nail technician in Santa Ana, California, has been unemployed since the salon where she worked closed in mid-March. When it reopened, she was not among those asked to return.
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Nguyen, who moved to the US from Vietnam in 1980 and is in her late 50s, has received just US$2,184 in unemployment benefits. Speaking by phone through a translator, she said she has relied on financial support from her children and stimulus payments.