Essential Workers List

Healthcare

  • COVID-19 testing providers, vaccine researchers
  • Caregivers, doctors, nurses, physician assistants, psychologists, pharmacists, occupational therapists, social workers, pathologists
  • Hospital and laboratory personnel,
  • Workers in other medical facilities, including ambulatory health and surgical centers, blood banks, mental health clinics, outpatient rehabilitation facilities, home health care, hospice, and residential psychiatric facilities
  • Manufacturers, technicians and warehouse operators, distributors of medical equipment, including personal protective equipment, medical gases, pharmaceuticals, blood and blood products, vaccines, testing materials, laboratory supplies, cleaning and sanitizing, disinfecting or sterilization supplies and tissue and paper towel products
  • Public health workers including those who compile, model, analyze and communicate public health information

Law enforcement/First Responders

  • Police officers
  • 911 operators
  • Emergency medical technicians (EMTs)
  • Other emergency management employees, including fire fighters and corrections officers

Food and agriculture

  • Workers supporting grocery stores, pharmacies and other retail establishments that sell food products
  • Restaurant workers
  • Employees of food manufacturers, including food processing, slaughterhouses and beverage production facilities
  • Farmworkers, including those employed in the manufacture of animal feed and veterinary drugs, truck drivers and other delivery employees
  • Sanitation workers

Utilities

  • Employees who work to provide electricity
  • Nuclear power plant employees
  • Petroleum workers, including those involved in product storage, refining, drilling and offshore operations
  • Natural gas workers
  • Employees needed to operate and maintain public and private drinking water and wastewater/drainage infrastructure, including operational staff, repair workers and chemical disinfectant suppliers

Transportation

  • Logistics workers
  • Mass transit operators and support staff
  • Maritime transportation workers
  • Hazmat truck drivers
  • Postal employees
  • Moving company employees
  • Airline workers
  • Maintenance positions

Public works

  • Road and bridge inspectors
  • Construction workers involved in projects related to necessary infrastructure
  • Waste removal employees
  • Workers who support the operation, maintenance and public safety of state parks, forests, wildlife management areas, water supply protection lands and other critical natural resources

Communications

  • Workers involved in the maintenance of communications technology, including internet and broadband service providers
  • Workers who support radio, television and the media, including reporters and technicians
  • Installation, maintenance and repair technicians that establish, support or repair service as needed
  • Information technology workers

Other essential positions

  • Educators including teachers, day care, hospice care/nursing home workers
  • Election employees
  • Building inspectors
  • Security staff who work with other essential businesses
  • Weather forecasters
  • Hotel workers
  • Critical government workers
  • Construction Workers who support the construction, operation, inspection, and maintenance of construction sites and construction projects (including housing construction)
  • Workers in recovery housing
  • Commercial retail stores that supply other essential businesses
  • Laundromats
  • Workers at places of worship
  • Bank employees
  • Chemical manufacturers
  • Defense contractors