Real-time data collected by RIWI from August 14 to September 27, 2020, under the auspices of the U.S. Private Sector Job Quality Index (JQI®) and Cornell Law School Senior Fellow and Adjunct Professor, Daniel Alpert, has demonstrated that the real-time jobs picture is worse than lagging mainstream jobs data indicate. These data show that a second round of layoffs is well underway and workers face increased job insecurity as many were being paid but not actually working, have again been laid off, or have been told they could be laid off. The data also show that, in addition to being disproportionately impacted by COVID, Black and Latino workers are disproportionately bearing the brunt of the second wave of layoffs.

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The survey follows a August 4th joint report, which showed that almost a third of Americans who had been laid off and then put back on payroll had been laid off again by early August.

Of particular note, the survey determined:

  • Of workers who were put back on payroll after being initially laid off as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, 27 percent reported in August/September that they have been laid off a second time, and another 36 percent have been told by their employer that they may be laid off again.
  • Nearly 40 percent of those initially laid off reported being put back on payroll by August/September, but one-quarter of such respondents say they were not asked to return to work.
  • In addition to being disproportionately impacted by COVID, Black and Latino workers are disproportionately bearing the brunt of the second wave of layoffs, with 34% of Latino workers and 31% of Black workers reported being laid off again compared to 25% of White workers over the July 23-September 27 time period.

RIWI randomly engaged a total of 5,897 U.S. respondents aged 16+ from August 14-September 27 on a continuous 24/7 basis with questions to determine who held a private-sector job, which share of those were laid off, which share of those were re-payrolled, and then in turn which share was laid off or told they might be laid off. Data collection for the earlier, August 4 report spanned July 23-August 1, 2020. In addition to these data specific to layoff risk, RIWI also randomly engages over 2,500 U.S. respondents aged 16+ monthly on their employment status 24/7 on an ongoing basis, with a historic data stream against which we compared our findings.

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