Editor's Note: This story originally appeared on Filterbuy.
The latest surge in COVID-19 cases caused by the omicron variant of the coronavirus once again disrupted an economic recovery that has been uneven to date.
While most jurisdictions did not resort to the same sorts of public health restrictions instituted in early 2020, many businesses struggled to operate at full capacity with employees sick due to COVID-19 and many consumers behaving more cautiously. Industries that have been hard-hit throughout the pandemic, like restaurants and airlines, experienced new disruptions heading into 2022.
Economic challenges associated with omicron and future variants could once again depress consumer spending, piling on top of an unusual decrease in consumer expenditures during the pandemic’s first year. For most of the last 60 years, consumer spending has increased year over year, even during economic downturns. But from 2019 to 2020, overall consumer spending fell by 2.6%, the largest year-over-year decline since the Great Recession.
The data used in this analysis is from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis’ Personal Consumption Expenditures. To determine the states with the biggest drop in spending during the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers calculated the percentage change in per capita consumer spending from 2019 to 2020.
Following are the states with the biggest drop in spending during COVID-19.
15. Florida
Percentage change in consumer spending (2019-2020): -3.1%
Total change in consumer spending (2019-2020): -$1,376
Per capita consumer spending (2020): $43,615
Per capita consumer spending (2019): $44,991
Category with the largest decrease in spending: Transportation services
14. Delaware
Percentage change in consumer spending (2019-2020): -3.2%
Total change in consumer spending (2019-2020): -$1,526
Per capita consumer spending (2020): $45,434
Per capita consumer spending (2019): $46,960
Category with the largest decrease in spending: Transportation services
13. Washington
Percentage change in consumer spending (2019-2020): -3.5%
Total change in consumer spending (2019-2020): -$1,647
Per capita consumer spending (2020): $46,041
Per capita consumer spending (2019): $47,688
Category with the largest decrease in spending: Transportation services
12. Rhode Island
Percentage change in consumer spending (2019-2020): -3.7%
Total change in consumer spending (2019-2020): -$1,660
Per capita consumer spending (2020): $42,944
Per capita consumer spending (2019): $44,604
Category with the largest decrease in spending: Gasoline and other energy goods
11. North Dakota
Percentage change in consumer spending (2019-2020): -3.7%
Total change in consumer spending (2019-2020): -$1,668
Per capita consumer spending (2020): $43,945
Per capita consumer spending (2019): $45,613
Category with the largest decrease in spending: Gasoline and other energy goods
10. Nevada
Percentage change in consumer spending (2019-2020): -3.8%
Total change in consumer spending (2019-2020): -$1,532
Per capita consumer spending (2020): $39,211
Per capita consumer spending (2019): $40,743
Category with the largest decrease in spending: Gasoline and other energy goods
9. Vermont
Percentage change in consumer spending (2019-2020): -3.8%
Total change in consumer spending (2019-2020): -$1,888
Per capita consumer spending (2020): $47,397
Per capita consumer spending (2019): $49,285
Category with the largest decrease in spending: Recreation services
8. Pennsylvania
Percentage change in consumer spending (2019-2020): -3.9%
Total change in consumer spending (2019-2020): -$1,828
Per capita consumer spending (2020): $44,650
Per capita consumer spending (2019): $46,478
Category with the largest decrease in spending: Recreation services
7. California
Percentage change in consumer spending (2019-2020): -4.3%
Total change in consumer spending (2019-2020): -$2,086
Per capita consumer spending (2020): $46,636
Per capita consumer spending (2019): $48,722
Category with the largest decrease in spending: Recreation services
6. Maryland
Percentage change in consumer spending (2019-2020): -4.4%
Total change in consumer spending (2019-2020): -$2,051
Per capita consumer spending (2020): $44,331
Per capita consumer spending (2019): $46,382
Category with the largest decrease in spending: Recreation services
5. Minnesota
Percentage change in consumer spending (2019-2020): -4.6%
Total change in consumer spending (2019-2020): -$2,129
Per capita consumer spending (2020): $44,403
Per capita consumer spending (2019): $46,532
Category with the largest decrease in spending: Recreation services
4. New York
Percentage change in consumer spending (2019-2020): -4.6%
Total change in consumer spending (2019-2020): -$2,416
Per capita consumer spending (2020): $49,735
Per capita consumer spending (2019): $52,151
Category with the largest decrease in spending: Transportation services
3. Hawaii
Percentage change in consumer spending (2019-2020): -4.7%
Total change in consumer spending (2019-2020): -$2,233
Per capita consumer spending (2020): $45,080
Per capita consumer spending (2019): $47,313
Category with the largest decrease in spending: Transportation services
2. Massachusetts
Percentage change in consumer spending (2019-2020): -5.0%
Total change in consumer spending (2019-2020): -$2,762
Per capita consumer spending (2020): $52,001
Per capita consumer spending (2019): $54,763
Category with the largest decrease in spending: Transportation services
1. Alaska
Percentage change in consumer spending (2019-2020): -5.4%
Total change in consumer spending (2019-2020): -$2,760
Per capita consumer spending (2020): $48,739
Per capita consumer spending (2019): $51,499
Category with the largest decrease in spending: Recreation services
Methodology
The data used in this analysis is from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis’ Personal Consumption Expenditures.
To determine the states with the biggest drop in spending during the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers calculated the percentage change in consumer spending from 2019 to 2020. In the event of a tie, the state with the lower total change in consumer spending from 2019 to 2020 was ranked higher.
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