Hit Harder, Recover Slower? Unequal Employment Effects of the Covid-19 Shock

22 Pages Posted: 19 Jan 2021 Last revised: 23 Jun 2023

See all articles by Sang Yoon (Tim) Lee

Sang Yoon (Tim) Lee

Queen Mary University of London

minsung park

Washington University in St. Louis

Yongseok Shin

Washington University in St. Louis; Federal Reserve Banks - Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: January 2021

Abstract

The destructive economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic was distributed unequally across the population. Gender, race and ethnicity, age, education level, and a worker's industry and occupation all mattered. We analyze the initial negative effect and the lingering effect through the recovery phase across demographic and socio-economic groups. The initial negative impact on employment was larger for women, minorities, the less educated, and the young, even after accounting for the industries and occupations they worked in. By November 2020, however, the differential impact between men and women, and between education and age groups has vanished. Across race and ethnic groups, Hispanics and Asians were the worse hit but made up for most of the lost ground, while the initial impact on Blacks was smaller but recovery slower.

Suggested Citation

Lee, Sang Yoon (Tim) and park, minsung and Shin, Yongseok, Hit Harder, Recover Slower? Unequal Employment Effects of the Covid-19 Shock (January 2021). NBER Working Paper No. w28354, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3768267

Sang Yoon (Tim) Lee (Contact Author)

Queen Mary University of London ( email )

Mile End Road
London, London E1 4NS
United Kingdom

Minsung Park

Washington University in St. Louis ( email )

Yongseok Shin

Washington University in St. Louis ( email )

One Brookings Drive
Campus Box 1208
Saint Louis, MO 63130-4899
United States

Federal Reserve Banks - Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

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National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

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Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

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