AP-NORC Poll: Nearly Half Say Job Lost to Virus Won't Return

WASHINGTON (AP) — Nearly half of Americans whose families experienced a layoff during the coronavirus pandemic believe those jobs are lost forever.

That's according to an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll. It's a sharp change from April, when 78% of those in households with a job loss thought they’d be temporary.

It's a sign of increasing pessimism that would translate into roughly 10 million workers needing to find a new employer, if not a new occupation.

Still, the poll shows 72% of Americans would rather have restrictions in their communities to stop the spread of COVID-19 than remove them to help the economy. Just 27% want to prioritize the economy over efforts to stop the outbreak.