First, despite all of the economic progress, it is clear that switching off economic activity for such a long period has had lasting consequences, and expectations of a smooth resumption of production, transportation, and business operations may not be met for some time.
Many workers that were initially laid off temporarily have left the workforce altogether, which is especially true for women, with nearly 2 million women leaving the workforce since the pandemic began. In addition, many older workers dislocated by the pandemic effectively retired and probably will not rejoin the workforce even in a much stronger job market.