Across the country, millions of Americans have lost their jobs because of the effect of COVID-19 on the economy. Small businesses are closing down altogether, food and service industry workers were on hold, retail and other non-essential employees were out of their jobs altogether or were furloughed without pay. The one-time stimulus was a small help, but it doesn’t stretch far enough. And many who were laid off don’t qualify for unemployment, rendering them without any source of income.

In total, more than 20 million jobs have been lost so far, and the unemployment rate is almost 15%. Among those suffering, certain demographics were hit much harder than others—namely women, African Americans, and Latinos. A report from the Department of Labor stated that while the unemployment rate for white people in April was 14.2%, for Latinos it was 18.9% and for African Americans it was 16.7%.

In a country where racism is engrained in the criminal justice system, it’s no surprise that those who have the least influence are the hardest hit. This is just a sad reminder that there are racial gaps in every corner of our country. These statistics aren’t just devastating on an individual level—they’re crippling low-income communities in which many families don’t have the savings to carry them safely through a threat of this magnitude.

If you’ve lost your job as a result of the Coronavirus, you’re likely having a hard time finding a new job. If you have a blemish on your criminal record, that’ll only make it harder. Get in touch with the friendly faces at Easy Expunctions to see if we can help get you a clean background check that’ll make you stand out on your next employee application.