'It's going to end up better for me': Many workers who lost jobs due to COVID-19 have found higher-paying positions

Brandon Boyd was furloughed from his communications jobs for an events company in March and then permanently laid off November, making him a little nervous, especially with his jobless benefits set to expire within weeks.

“It kind of put me in scramble mode,” says Boyd, who lives in Erie, Pennsylvania. “I’m 29 and filing for unemployment.”

But it took Boyd just a month to draw two offers, and he accepted a position as marketing coordinator for Mercyhurst University. While it pays about $4,000 a year less than his old job,...