State-Level Youth Unemployment Rates from 2019 to 2020

In 2020, youth unemployment increased significantly across all states due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts on economic activity and employment opportunities for youth. The increase was particularly concentrated in the West Coast and Northeast. These parts of the country were hit hardest by COVID-19 early on in the pandemic, which in turn in led to stricter stay-at-home orders and state policies aimed at addressing the spread of the virus. These regional impacts on economic activity led to a decrease in youth employment opportunities.