The numbers: Private-sector companies shed a whopping 20.2 million jobs in April as many were forced to shutter during a nationwide shutdown to slow the coronavirus, underscoring the biggest crisis for American workers and the U.S. labor market in nearly a century.
What happened: Small employers — those with one to 49 workers — culled 6 million jobs in April, according to data from Automatic Data Processing Inc.
Mid-sized enterprises with 50 to 499 employees shed 5.3 million jobs.
And large businesses with 500 employees or more axed 8.9 million jobs.
This story by Jeffry Bartash originally ran in MarketWatch.com.
Service-producing industries slashed 16 million jobs in April, led by a 8.6 million decline at hotels and restaurants. Retail and transportation also lost 3.4 million positions.
Health-care companies also cut employment by almost 1 million. The pandemic caused a steep decline in treatment and appointments for non-coronavirus patients around the country.
