Effects of the COVID-19 Recession on the US Labor Market: Occupation, Family, and Gender
- (pp. 3-24)
(Complimentary)
Abstract
The economic crisis associated with the emergence of the novel corona virus is unlike standard recessions. Demand for workers in high contact and inflexible service occupations has declined while parental supply of labor has been reduced by lack of access to reliable child care and in-person schooling options. This has led to a substantial and persistent drop in employment and labor force participation for women, who are typically less affected by recessions than men. We examine real-time data on employment, unemployment, labor force participation and gross job flows to document the impact of the pandemic by occupation, gender and family status. We also discuss the potential long-term implications of this crisis, including the role of automation in depressing the recovery of employment for the worst hit service occupations.Citation
Albanesi, Stefania, and Jiyeon Kim. 2021. "Effects of the COVID-19 Recession on the US Labor Market: Occupation, Family, and Gender." Journal of Economic Perspectives, 35 (3): 3-24. DOI: 10.1257/jep.35.3.3Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- E24 Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
- E32 Business Fluctuations; Cycles
- I12 Health Behavior
- J12 Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure; Domestic Abuse
- J16 Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
- J22 Time Allocation and Labor Supply
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