Jun 9, 2020 - Economy

The biggest coronavirus hiring slumps

The silhouette of a man seen through clear plastic and duct tape sheeting

Driving for Uber in New York City in the time of coronavirus. Photo: Cindy Ord/Getty Images

The pandemic’s upending of the way we work and live has roiled the job market — triggering hiring surges in some sectors and massive slumps in others.

Why it matters: Look for some of the pain to last beyond the end of the pandemic. “If some of the increase in remote work, distance learning and online entertainment is permanent, these jobs will be threatened by the new at-home economy,” says Julia Pollak, a labor economist at ZipRecruiter.

By the numbers: Here are the jobs that saw the greatest declines in postings between mid-February and mid-May, according to ZipRecruiter data shared with Axios:

  1. Uber/Lyft Driver (-91%) 
  2. Flight Attendant (-90%) 
  3. Car Washer (-87%)
  4. Tour Guide (-85%)
  5. Retail Store Associate (-84%) 
  6. Event/Conference Planner (-82%) 
  7. Hotel Staff (-82%) 
  8. Office Manager (-81%)
  9. Chef (-80%) 
  10. Catering Assistant (-80%)
  11. Commercial Pilot (-79%) 
  12. Ticket Seller (-75%)
  13. Usher (-73%)
  14. Valet (-70%) 
  15. Actor (-70%)
  16. Musician (-69%) 
  17. Loss Prevention Specialist (-62%) 
  18. Barber (-58%)
  19. Commercial Property Manager (-49%) 
  20. Front Desk Associate (-47%)

Go deeper: "Disposable workers" doing essential jobs

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