AAPI Nexus: Policy, Practice and Community

This article assess the economic impacts of COVID-19 on Asian Americans by analyzing five data sources: the Current Population Survey, Current Employment Statistics Survey, Unemployment Insurance (UI) claims derived from U.S. Department of Labor and Employment and Training Administration and supplemented by UI data from the California Policy Lab, and the 2018 American Community Survey Public Use Micro Sample. Major findings include Asian Americans have higher unemployment and jobless rates, make up a larger percentage of initial unemployment claims relative to their proportion in the labor force, and have suffered a 28 percent decline in small businesses.