April Jobs Report Shows Bulk of Losses in Front-Line Sectors

Nareit Senior Economist Calvin Schnure said that while the April jobs report was “clearly a shock to the economy,” the bulk of job losses were confined to a few sectors facing complete shutdowns.

In the May 11 edition of the REIT Report, Schnure noted that the April report showed a record decline in employment while the unemployment rate jumped to 14.7%, the highest level since the Great Depression. However, the data are “less alarming than we might have expected,“ Schnure said. He noted that 60% of the job losses were in sectors such as restaurants, doctors’ offices, and retail—which may be in a position to rehire at a later date.