20.5 million jobs were lost in April. That wipes out all the net job gains since early 2011.
increase in unemployment rate, by 10.3 percentage points to 14.7 percent, is both the highest rate and the largest over-the-month increase in the history of the series (seasonally adjusted data are available back to
January 1948).
January 1948).
unemployment rate for almost every demographic group -- adult men, adult women, teens, whites, Asians, Hispanics -- is at a record high. Only group that isn't at record high is blacks, but they're still at 16.7% unemployment. Unemployment was higher for blacks in early '80s
Headline unemployment doesn't come close to capturing the level of economic pain. Broader measure of unemployment (including those unwillingly part-time + those who want to work but have stopped looking for jobs) is at 22.8% (!). Highest in history of series, back to 1994 
Here's what wiping out all the net job gains since early 2011 looks like
BLS says some coding challenges probably led to undercounting those unemployed. If you added those listed as employed but absent from work due to "other reasons" (over & above # absent for other reasons in typical April), unemployment rate would be 5 point higher (on NSA basis)
The leisure & hospitality industry lost almost *half* its total payroll jobs between March & April. Employment plummeted by 7.7 million, which wipes out all the net gains in the industry going back to 1988
needless to say, this is Trump's own industry. we all know he's a fan of the '80s, but not sure he intended to bring the whole industry back to the '80s quite so literally
Average hourly earnings for all private sector employees increased by $1.34 to $30.01, but mostly for the wrong reason: reflects the substantial job loss among lower-paid workers
better U-6 chart, via FRED:
Another bizarre and heartbreaking thing about this jobs report: in the middle of a public health crisis, the health care industry shed 1.4 million jobs. It is extremely unusual for the industry to lose jobs, ever; it usually gains even during recession. Not so today.
