Back to Work: What Recovery Felt Like for Millions of Americans Reade Pickert, Bloomberg News Mike Tilberry leads a Zoom workout on the deck of his temporary apartment in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, U.S., on Saturday, February 20, 2021. , Photographer: Micah Green/Bloomberg (Bloomberg) -- Itâs been a year since Covid-19 triggered the steepest economic collapse in modern U.S. history, with more than 22 million people thrown out of their jobs in a matter of weeks. Many have managed to find a way back to work. By comparison with the millions who remain unemployed, they may seem like the lucky ones, though it doesnât always feel that way.