Legal Jobs Fell by 1,700 in Early Weeks of Pandemic in U.S.

The U.S. legal sector cut 1,700 jobs in the first weeks of the coronavirus impact on the economy as law firms and other employers scrambled to adjust to a worsening business climate.

The figures reported by the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday captures a period between the middle of February to the middle of March, just as Covid-19 began to hit American markets and business. The estimate is based on employer reporting on how many full-time and hourly employees are on their payrolls on the 12th of each month.

“Legal is usually a lagging indicator,” said James ...