Study: Washington takes top spot on list of state economies hit the least by COVID-19

Washington in recent weeks has been slowly opening up its economy as more people across the state get vaccinated.

About two weeks ago, every county in the state moved to Phase 3 of Washington's reopening plan, meaning most indoor places including restaurants and gyms could open at 50%.

Despite the slow reopening over the past year, according to a new updated study from Wallethub, Washington now takes the top spot on a new list of state economies least hit by the coronavirus.

"Coronavirus isn’t just a danger to Americans’ health. It’s also a menace to our wallets. Due to the pandemic, many states still have restrictions on businesses, though the country is gradually reopening more and more as vaccination increases," the study said.

"The U.S. is still struggling to recover from the unemployment caused by business closures, too. While the federal government has helped mitigate some of this damage through multiple rounds of business loans, direct stimulus payments to individuals and increased unemployment benefits, it will take a long time for state economies to fully recover."

But, the rate of recovery has varied widely from state to state over the past year.

The study looked at a number of factors to determine which state economies were hit the most and least by the pandemic, including the share of employment from highly affected industries, the percent change in the number of small businesses open, the share of workers working from home and with access to paid sick leave and Wallethub's rankings of states whose unemployment claims were recovering the quickest.

Throughout the pandemic, thousands of people in Washington and across the country have lost their jobs and many businesses have had to close down for good. In recent weeks, as more people have become eligible for vaccines and supply increases, Washington has been reopening more fully.

But, health officials in the state in recent weeks have been increasingly concerned about rising cases, especially with the spread of new variants in the community thought to spread more easily and quickly. State officials have said counties could be moved back a phase if they do not meet a series of key metrics, which could impact the state's economy once again.

Still, local, state and federal officials have been working over the past year to provide relief to tenants and businesses that have been struggling over the past year to afford rent and other basic necessities.

Keep reading to see which states ranked at the top of the list of economies that were hit the least by the virus.

Washington

Washington ranked first on the list of state economies hit the least by the coronavirus.

Arizona

Arizona ranked second on the list of state economies hit the least by the coronavirus.

Oregon

Oregon ranked third on the list of state economies hit the least by the coronavirus.

Utah

Utah ranked fourth on the list of state economies hit the least by the coronavirus.

Washington, D.C. 

Washington, D.C. ranked fifth on the list of state economies hit the least by the coronavirus.