Zitatform

Birinci, Serdar, Yusuf Mercan & Kurt See (2025): Mismatch unemployment during COVID-19 and the post-pandemic labor shortages. In: Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Jg. 178. DOI:10.1016/j.jedc.2025.105142

Abstract

"We examine the extent to which mismatch unemployment—employment losses relative to an efficient allocation where the planner can costlessly reallocate unemployed workers across sectors to maximize output—shaped labor market dynamics during the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent recovery episode characterized by labor shortages. We find that, for the first time in our sample, mismatch unemployment turned negative at the onset of the pandemic. This result suggests that the efficient allocation of job seekers would involve reallocating workers toward longer-tenure and more-productive jobs, even at the expense of fewer hires. We show that sectoral differences in job separations were the main driver behind this result, while differences in vacancies caused positive mismatch unemployment during the recovery episode. We also establish an empirical link between mismatch unemployment and the surge in the labor cost during the recovery, documenting that sectors with larger mismatch unemployment experienced higher employment cost growth." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 Elsevier B.V. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.) ((en))

Zitatform

Fitzenberger, Bernd & Christian Kagerl (2025): Deutschlands Rettungsausgaben während der Covid-19-Pandemie waren im internationalen Vergleich eher unterdurchschnittlich. In: IAB-Forum H. 04.08.2025, 2025-08-04. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FOO.20250804.01

Abstract

"Während der Covid-19-Pandemie versuchten die Regierungen in den Jahren 2020 und 2021 den negativen Auswirkungen auf Wirtschaft und Beschäftigte mit umfangreichen finanziellen Mitteln entgegenzuwirken. Einige Länder führten in dieser Zeit das deutsche Modell des Kurzarbeitergeldes ein oder weiteten dessen Nutzung deutlich aus. Im internationalen Vergleich zeigen sich jedoch erhebliche Unterschiede – sowohl beim Umfang der staatlichen Rettungsausgaben für den Arbeitsmarkt als auch beim Mix der gewählten Maßnahmen. Rückblickend wird deutlich: Deutschland wendete insgesamt weniger Mittel für die Rettungsprogramme auf als andere Industrieländer, hielt aber die intensive Nutzung von Kurzarbeit im Schnitt länger aufrecht." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Lee, Kun (2025): Old and New Welfare States Retaining Older Workers in the Face of Crisis: The Case of COVID-19 in Europe. (LISER working papers 2025-03), Esch-sur-Alzette, 36 S.

Abstract

"The Coronavirus pandemic was a unique crisis in Europe as an unprecedented health and labour market shock barely disrupted long-term trends toward active ageing. We study the role of social policy responses and pre-existing welfare state institutions in moderating older workers’ exit from work following the crisis. Using a cross-national panel survey and exploiting institutional variations across Europe, we examine the association between older workers’ exit outcomes during COVID-19 and a set of macro-institutional indicators, net of the economic shock and pre-pandemic activation levels. Results show that the use of novel job retention schemes was systematically related to the retention of older workers, whereas extended unemployment insurance likely had a limited influence. Higher retirement ages and greater reliance on private pensions were associated with lower exit rates but mostly among lower-educated workers. Our findings highlight the significance of welfare states managing the crisis-driven economic shock and offer useful policy implications." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Wizan, Maisarah & Sarah Marchal (2025): Balancing Timeliness, Efficiency and Effectiveness: An Assessment of Targeted Social Policies in Challenging Times. In: Social Policy and Administration. DOI:10.1111/spol.13156

Abstract

"Timely support is evidently vital when people face sudden income shocks. Nevertheless, most contemporary social policy research on the effectiveness of targeted income support adopts an annual focus. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the timeliness of social support became especially salient. Labor market incomes varied largely month-to-month, and governments reacted with both old and newly designed social policy measures. The latter were designed in a profoundly different policy-making context, in which it was difficult to foresee their effectiveness and cost, while the organization and implementation of timely income protection measures gained new precedence. In Belgium, the COVID-19 pandemic prompted a multitude of new or substantially changed targeted income support measures across its different regions. This heterogeneity enables an in-depth analysis of the relationship between targeting design features and the effectiveness and timeliness of social policies. Using the EU-SILC and EUROMOD, we assess the impact of social measures on monthly net disposable incomes derived from nowcasted labor market transitions. We evaluate the timeliness of policies from an intra-year perspective, exploring the link between targeting design, implementation, and outcomes, and do so for the interesting case of social crisis measures in a turbulent period. We find that large pre-existing job retention and categorical income replacement schemes were crucial and timely in maintaining living standards and preventing poverty, while smaller, purpose-designed lump-sum benefits played only a supplementary role. Interestingly, targeting choices designed to expedite benefit payments, such as passporting on existing beneficiary status, did not substantially improve timeliness." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

Zitatform

Aksoy, Cevat Giray, Andreas Baur, Lisandra Flach & Beata Javorcik (2024): Lieferketten nach Corona: Welche Prioritäten setzen deutsche Unternehmen? In: ifo Schnelldienst digital, Jg. 5, H. 1, S. 1-4.

Abstract

"Auch nach dem Abklingen der Corona-Pandemie hat die große Mehrheit der deutschen Unternehmen zusätzliche Maßnahmen getroffen, um das Risiko von Lieferkettenstörungen zu reduzieren. Im Rahmen der ifo Konjunkturumfragen im November 2023 gaben 75% der Industrieunternehmen an, die Lieferkettenresilienz durch eine veränderte Beschaffungsstrategie gestärkt zu haben. Die Diversifizierung von Lieferbeziehungen war dabei die am häufigsten genannte Maßnahme (58%). Der Anteil der Unternehmen, die ihre Lagerbestände erhöht haben, ist im Vergleich zum Vorjahr dagegen deutlich gesunken und lag bei 45%. Einige Unternehmen planen weitere Anpassungsmaßnahmen innerhalb eines Jahres. So beabsichtigt jeder dritte Hersteller, die Anzahl seiner Zulieferer zu erhöhen. Im Vergleich zur Vorjahresumfrage ist der Anteil der Unternehmen, die ihre Lagerbestände erhöhen wollen, deutlich gesunken und lag bei 12%." (Textauszug, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Christl, Michael, Silvia De Poli, Francesco Figari, Tine Hufkens, Chrysa Leventi, Andrea Papini & Alberto Tumino (2024): Monetary compensation schemes during the COVID-19 pandemic: implications for household incomes, liquidity constraints and consumption across the EU. In: Journal of Economic Inequality, Jg. 22, H. 2, S. 411-431. DOI:10.1007/s10888-023-09596-4

Abstract

"This paper analyses the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on household disposable income and household demand in the European Union (EU) during 2020, making use of the EU microsimulation model EUROMOD and nowcasting techniques. We show evidence of heterogeneity in the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the labour markets in EU Member States, with some countries hit substantially harder than others. Most EU Member States experience a large drop in market incomes, with poorer households bearing the brunt. Tax-benefit systems cushioned significantly the transmission of the shock to the disposable income and the household demand, with monetary compensation schemes playing a major role. Additionally, we show that monetary compensation schemes prevent a significant share of households from becoming liquidity constrained during the pandemic." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

Zitatform

Kindberg-Hanlon, Gene & Michael Girard (2024): What Caused the Beveridge Curve to Shift Higher in the United States During the Pandemic? (IMF working papers / International Monetary Fund 2024,08), Washington, DC, 42 S.

Abstract

"The Beveridge curve shifted substantially higher in the United States following the start of the COVID pandemic. In 2022, vacancies reached record highs across all sectors while unemployment fell to pre-pandemic lows. At the same time, the pandemic has resulted in severe labor shortages, and we estimate that the labor force was approximately 2 million below trend at the start of 2023. We exploit state-level data in the United States to find that lower immigration, higher excess mortality due to COVID, and falling older-worker labor force participation were associated with larger upward shifts in the Beveridge curve. We also find that states that had a larger employment concentration in contact-intensive sectors had larger upward shifts in their Beveridge curve. While the effect of sectoral reallocation and rehiring has been shown in theoretical models to lift the Beveridge curve, we show that worker shortages also result in an upward shift in the Beveridge curve if they increase the marginal product of labor. This result holds in a search and matching model with on-the-job search, but does not hold without on-the-job search." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Zarate, Pablo, Mathias Dolls, Steven J. Davis, Nicholas Bloom, José María Barrero & Cevat Giray Aksoy (2024): Why Does Working from Home Vary Across Countries and People? (NBER working paper / National Bureau of Economic Research 32374), Cambridge, Mass, 42 S. DOI:10.3386/w32374

Abstract

"We use two surveys to assess why work from home (WFH) varies so much across countries and people. A measure of cultural individualism accounts for about one-third of the cross-country variation in WFH rates. Australia, Canada, the UK, and the US score highly on individualism and WFH rates, whereas Asian countries score low on both. Other factors such as cumulative lockdown stringency, population density, industry mix, and GDP per capita also matter, but they account for less of the variation. When looking across individual workers in the United States, we find that industry mix, population density and lockdown severity help account for current WFH rates, as does the partisan leaning of the county in which the worker resides. We conclude that multiple factors influence WFH rates, and technological feasibility is only one of them." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Bermejo, Lorenzo, Maria Malmierca-Ordoqui & Luis Alberiko Gil-Alana (2023): Unemployment and COVID-19: an analysis of change in persistence. In: Applied Economics, Jg. 55, H. 39, S. 4511-4521. DOI:10.1080/00036846.2022.2129574

Abstract

"This paper examines the degree of persistence in monthly unemployment rates for a group of 24 European countries along with the global rate for the Euro area, the European Union, the G7 and the OECD countries. For this purpose, fractionally integrated methods are employed. Using data from January 2010 to November 2020, our results indicate that fractional integration is present in all countries examined, with the orders of integration of the series ranging in the (0, 1) interval. Comparing the data before COVID-19 with those including it, the significant time trend coefficient and the mean reverting property disappear in most cases when COVID-19 data are considered. This implies that governments should consider that, after the pandemic, shocks on the labour market will have permanent effects. Thus, policies should address unemployment accordingly. Our work, however, does not focus on the analysis of nonlinearities, what could provide a more complete understanding of the series behaviour." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Bick, Alexander & Adam Blandin (2023): Employer reallocation during the COVID-19 pandemic: Validation and application of a do-it-yourself CPS. In: Review of Economic Dynamics, Jg. 49, S. 58-76. DOI:10.1016/j.red.2022.11.002

Abstract

"Economists have recently begun using independent online surveys to collect national labor market data. Questions remain over the quality of such data. This paper provides an approach to address these concerns. Our case study is the Real-Time Population Survey (RPS), a novel online survey of the US built around the Current Population Survey (CPS). The RPS replicates core components of the CPS, ensuring comparable measures that allow us to weight and rigorously validate our results using a high-quality benchmark. At the same time, special questions in the RPS yield novel information regarding employer reallocation during the COVID-19 pandemic. We estimate that 26% of pre-pandemic workers were working for a new employer one year into the COVID-19 outbreak in the US, at least double the rate of any previous episode in the past quarter century. Our discussion contains practical suggestions for the design of novel labor market surveys and highlights other promising applications of our methodology." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2023 Elsevier) ((en))

Zitatform

Calligaris, Sara, Gabriele Ciminelli, Hélia Costa, Chiara Criscuolo, Lilas Demmou, Isabelle Desnoyers-James, Guido Franco & Rudy Verlhac (2023): Employment dynamics across firms during COVID-19: The role of job retention schemes. (OECD Economics Department working papers 1788), Paris, 67 S. DOI:10.1787/33388537-en

Abstract

"This paper analyses employment dynamics across firms during the COVID-19 pandemic and the role of job retention schemes (JRS) in shaping these dynamics. It relies on a novel collection of high-frequency harmonised micro-aggregated statistics, computed using administrative data on employment and wages from electronic payroll records across 12 countries linked to monthly information on policy support during COVID-19, as well as on a new indicator of JRS de-jure generosity. The analysis highlights four key findings: i) the employment adjustment margins varied over time, adjusting mainly through the intensive margin in 2020, while both the intensive and the extensive margins contributed to employment changes in 2021; ii) the reallocation process remained productivity enhancing, although to a lower extent on average compared to 2019; iii) JRS were successful in their purpose of cushioning the effect of the crisis on employment growth and firm survival; iv) JRS support did not distort the productivity-enhancing nature of reallocation." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Cortes, Guido Matias & Eliza C. Forsythe (2023): Heterogeneous Labor Market Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic. In: ILR review, Jg. 76, H. 1, S. 30-55. DOI:10.1177/00197939221076856

Abstract

"The authors study the distributional consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on employment, both during the onset of the pandemic and over subsequent months. Using cross-sectional and matched longitudinal data from the Current Population Survey, they show that the pandemic has exacerbated pre-existing inequalities. Although employment losses have been widespread, they have been substantially larger—and more persistent—in lower-paying occupations and industries. Hispanics and non-White workers suffered larger increases in job losses, not only because of their over-representation in lower-paying jobs but also because of a disproportionate increase in their job displacement probability relative to non-Hispanic White workers with the same job background. Gaps in year-on-year job displacement probabilities between Black and White workers have widened over the course of the pandemic recession, both overall and conditional on pre-displacement occupation and industry. These gaps are not explained by state-level differences in the severity of the pandemic nor by the associated response in terms of mitigation policies. In addition, evidence suggests that older workers have been retiring at faster rates." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Cowan, Benjamin W. (2023): Time Use, College Attainment, and The Working-from-Home Revolution. (NBER working paper / National Bureau of Economic Research 31439), Cambridge, Mass, 34 S.

Abstract

"I demonstrate that the profound change in working from home (WFH) in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic is concentrated among individuals with college degrees. Relative to 2015-19, the number of minutes worked from home on fall 2021 weekdays increased by over 90 minutes for college graduates; for non-graduates, it was 17 minutes. The share of work done at home (for those who worked at all) increased by 21% for graduates and 6% for non-graduates. Average minutes worked changed little for either group. Daily time spent traveling (e.g., commuting) fell by 24 minutes for college graduates but did not change for non-graduates. I examine how time-use patterns change for college graduates relative to non-graduates over the same period. Preliminary evidence suggests that time spent with children has risen for college graduates relative to non-graduates, potentially a sign that gaps in children's outcomes by college attainment will be exacerbated by the WFH revolution." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Dupray, Arnaud, Zora Mazari & Alexie Robert (2023): Has the crisis disrupted thirty-somethings' career trajectories? (Training & employment 159), Marseille, 3 S.

Abstract

"How have the working lives of young people in their thirties, the “hard core” of the economically active population in employment, been affected by the health crisis of 2020? The results of the Génération survey: Covid et après? (After Covid what?) serve to document the varied situations of these economically active individuals in the face of the crisis. Whether they were in stable or precarious employment, whether they were working in sectors exposed to or unaffected by the crisis, whether or not they had children, how did these young employees or self-employed workers get through the crisis?" (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Jordà, Òscar & Fernanda Nechio (2023): Inflation and wage growth since the pandemic. In: European Economic Review, Jg. 156. DOI:10.1016/j.euroecorev.2023.104474

Abstract

"Following the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation surged to levels last seen in the 1980s. Motivated by vast differences in pandemic support across countries, we investigate the subsequent response of inflation and its feedback to wages. We exploit the differences in pandemic support to identify the effect that these programs had on inflation and the passthrough to wages. Our empirical approach focuses on a novel dynamic difference-in-differences method based on local projections. Our estimates suggest that an increase of 5 percentage points in direct transfers (relative to trend) translates into about a peak 3 percentage points boost to inflation and wage growth. Moreover, higher inflation accentuates the role of inflation expectations on wage-setting dynamics." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2023 Elsevier) ((en))

Zitatform

Meisiek, Anne, Moritz Meister, Annekatrin Niebuhr & Meike Rudolph (2023): Local labor market effects of global value chain disruptions - evidence from the COVID-19 crisis. (IAB-Forschungsbericht 10/2023), Nürnberg, 53 S. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FB.2310

Abstract

"Diese Studie untersucht die Bedeutung der Integration von Produktionsprozessen in globale Wertschöpfungsketten (GVC) für die Entwicklung regionaler Arbeitsmärkte in Deutschland während der COVID-19 Pandemie. Die COVID-19 Pandemie ist eine globale Krise. Dennoch ist sie durch starke geografische Unterschiede gekennzeichnet, unter anderem bezüglich der Infektionsraten, aber auch mit Blick auf die Intensität der ergriffenen Eindämmungs- und Hilfsmaßnahmen und der zu beobachtenden Verhaltensänderungen. Eine rasch wachsende Zahl von Studien liefert Belege für die heterogenen räumlichen Effekte der COVID-19 Pandemie, wobei sich die meisten Untersuchungen auf den anfänglichen Schock und die Auswirkungen von Lockdowns und wirtschaftspolitischen Unterstützungsmaßnahmen konzentrieren. Die vorliegende Studie betrachtet die Folgen der COVID-19 Pandemie aus einer anderen Perspektive als die bisherige Forschung zu den regionalwirtschaftlichen Auswirkungen der Krise. Wir betrachten die Effekte der Störung globaler Wertschöpfungsketten durch die Pandemie und untersuchen, ob das Ausmaß der Integration von Produktionsprozessen in globale Wertschöpfungsketten die Stärke des anfänglichen Schocks und die anschließende Erholung lokaler Arbeitsmärkte in Deutschland bis Dezember 2021 beeinflusst hat. Unsere Analyse konzentriert sich dabei auf die bilateralen Handelsbeziehungen zwischen China und Deutschland, da die beiden Länder wichtige Akteure in globalen Wertschöpfungsketten sind. Zudem war China sehr früh und sehr stark von der Pandemie betroffen, was Anfang 2020 zu einem erheblichen Rückgang der Produktion und der Exporte des Landes führte. Um die Integration von Wirtschaftszweigen und Regionen in globale Wertschöpfungsketten zu messen, verwenden wir die länderübergreifenden Input-Output-Tabellen (ICIO) der OECD von 2021, die detaillierte Informationen über den Handel mit Vorleistungsgütern zwischen 45 Branchen und 66 Ländern bis zum Jahr 2018 enthalten. Anhand dieser Daten zum internationalen Handel mit Zwischenprodukten berechnen wir verschiedene Indikatoren für die Integration deutscher Branchen über Importe und Exporte von Vorleistungsgütern. Um die Integration lokaler Arbeitsmärkte in globale Wertschöpfungsketten zu messen, quantifizieren wir die regionalen Unterschiede im Handel mit Zwischenprodukten anhand der Unterschiede in der sektoralen Spezialisierung zwischen den Arbeitsmarktregionen. Unsere zentrale Ergebnisvariable ist der regionale Anteil der Beschäftigten in Kurzarbeit an der Gesamtbeschäftigung. Die intensive Nutzung von Kurzarbeit war ein Grund für den relativ moderaten Anstieg der Arbeitslosigkeit während der COVID-19 Pandemie in Deutschland. Daher verwenden wir den Kurzarbeitsanteil anstelle von regionalen Arbeitslosenquoten, um die Arbeitsmarkteffekte der durch die COVID-19 Krise verursachten Störungen globaler Wertschöpfungsketten zu messen. Als zweite Ergebnisvariable betrachten wir die regionale Beschäftigung. Unsere deskriptiven Ergebnisse weisen darauf hin, dass insbesondere Regionen in Süddeutschland stark in globale Wertschöpfungsketten integriert sind. Die räumliche Ballung im Süden des Bundesgebiets scheint für den Handel mit Zwischenprodukten mit China etwas stärker zu sein als für den Vorprodukt-Handel mit dem Rest der Welt. Im Gegensatz dazu weisen viele Regionen im Nordosten des Landes eine unterdurchschnittliche Einbindung in globale Wertschöpfungsketten auf. Eine Zerlegung des Zwischenprodukthandels in Importe und Exporte zeigt, dass die Exportkomponente in Deutschland fast doppelt so groß ist wie die Importkomponente. Die Export- und Importmaße korrelieren jedoch stark, was darauf hindeutet, dass eine Region in der Regel sowohl über Im- als auch Exporte von Vorleistungen stark in globale Wertschöpfungsketten integriert ist. Unseren Ergebnissen zufolge hat die Kurzarbeit im Jahr 2020 insbesondere in denjenigen Regionen sehr stark zugenommen hat, die ökonomisch sehr eng mit China verflochten sind. Wir stellen signifikante Effekte sowohl einer Integration durch Exporte als auch durch Importe von Vorleistungsgütern fest, wobei die Auswirkungen über die Importverbindung mit China etwas stärker sind. Die Effekte, die wir für die Integration mit China beobachten, sind jedoch nur temporärer Natur und laufen bereits in der zweiten Hälfte des Jahres 2020 schnell aus. Regionen, die stark mit dem Rest der Welt integriert sind, heben sich dagegen nicht von anderen lokalen Arbeitsmärkten in Deutschland ab, wenn es um die Auswirkungen der COVID-19 Krise geht. Für die rasche Erholung der Regionen, die eine hohe Integration mit China aufweisen, gibt es verschiedene mögliche Erklärungsansätze. Zunächst einmal unterscheidet sich China im zweiten Jahr der Pandemie nicht mehr so sehr von anderen wichtigen Handelspartnern Deutschlands was die Störung internationaler Handelsströme betrifft. Darüber hinaus lassen die Befunde erster Studien vermuten, dass Unternehmen ihre Produktionsprozesse und die Beschaffung von Vorleistungen als Reaktion auf Störungen der Wertschöpfungsketten während der COVID-19-Krise angepasst haben." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Schludi, Martin; Bob Gregory (interviewte Person) (2023): The first six months expenditure for the Australian JobKeeper scheme lifted total national government expenditure by one quarter (Consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic). (Interview with Bob Gregory). In: IAB-Forum H. 31.10.2023 Nürnberg. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FOO.20231031.02

Abstract

"Während der Covid-19-Krise führte Australien groß angelegte und leicht umzusetzende Lohnkostenzuschüsse ein. Dieses „JobKeeper-Programm” sollte Entlassungen verhindern. Die Unterschiede zu den europäischen Kurzarbeitsprogrammen sind jedoch frappierend. Im Interview für das IAB-Forum gibt Bob Gregory, emeritierter Professor der Australian National University, Einblicke in den australischen Ansatz und skizziert mögliche Lehren für andere Länder." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Schludi, Martin; Bob Gregory (interviewte Person) (2023): Die Ausgaben für das australische JobKeeper-Programm haben die staatlichen Gesamtausgaben in den ersten sechs Monaten um ein Viertel erhöht (Serie Kurzarbeit: Internationale Erfahrungen während der Covid-19-Krise ). (Interview mit Bob Gregory). In: IAB-Forum H. 31.10.2023 Nürnberg. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FOO.20231031.01

Abstract

"Während der Covid-19-Krise führte Australien groß angelegte und leicht umzusetzende Lohnkostenzuschüsse ein. Dieses „JobKeeper-Programm” sollte Entlassungen verhindern. Die Unterschiede zu den europäischen Kurzarbeitsprogrammen sind jedoch frappierend. Im Interview für das IAB-Forum gibt Bob Gregory, emeritierter Professor der Australian National University, Einblicke in den australischen Ansatz und skizziert mögliche Lehren für andere Länder." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Valizade, Danat, Manhal Ali & Mark Stuart (2023): Inequalities in the disruption of paid work during the Covid-19 pandemic: A world systems analysis of core, semi-periphery, and periphery states. In: Industrial Relations, Jg. 62, H. 2, S. 189-213. DOI:10.1111/irel.12310

Abstract

"This article reveals the extent of international inequalities in the immediate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on participation in paid work. Drawing on World Systems Theory (WST) and a novel quasi-experimental analysis of nationally representative household panel surveys across 20 countries, the study finds a much sharper increase in the likelihood of dropping out of paid work in semi-periphery and periphery states relative to core states. We establish a causal link between such international disparities and the early trajectories of state interventions in the labor market. Further analysis demonstrates that within all three world systems delayed, less stringent interventions in the labor market were enabled by right-wing populism but mitigated by the strength of active labor market policies and collective bargaining." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

Zitatform

Özdemir, M. Çağlar, Hakan Mete, Cihan Selek Öz & V. Çağrı Arik (2023): Global labor market debates in the ILO publications in the COVID-19 era. In: Monthly labor review H. September. DOI:10.21916/mlr.2023.20

Abstract

"The COVID-19 pandemic, which began in 2020, significantly changed the dynamics of working life. To help capture these changing dynamics, we examined publications that the International Labour Organization published during this period. This article aims to determine what kind of discussions are made within the framework of these publications in the context of COVID-19 by period and region. Thus, we researched the most intense discussion themes and tried to discover the global agendas of the labor markets. Within the scope of this article, we downloaded, classified, and examined a total of 1,062 publications (reports, webinars, and bulletins) published between January 2020 and April 2021. As a result of the analysis, we saw that the themes of working hours, informal workers, vulnerable workers, decent work, social protection, remote working, skills development, social dialogue, and labor standards were dominant." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

(2022): OECD Employment Outlook 2022. Building Back More Inclusive Labour Markets. (OECD employment outlook), Paris, 347 S. DOI:10.1787/1bb305a6-en

Abstract

"Two years into the pandemic, economic activity has recovered faster than expected. However, the labour market recovery is still uneven across sectors and is threatened by the economic fallout from Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, which has generated the fastest growing humanitarian crisis in Europe since World War II, sending shockwaves throughout the world economy. The 2022 edition of the OECD Employment Outlook reviews the key labour market and social challenges for a more inclusive post-COVID‑19 recovery. It also examines the policies to address these challenges and the outlook ahead. Particular attention is given to frontline workers and groups lagging behind in this recovery (young people, workers with less education, and racial/ethnic minorities). The Outlook also addresses a number of long-standing structural issues that have a key relevance for labour market inclusiveness, such as employer market power and its labour market consequences, the role of firms in wage inequality, and the effect of working time policies on well-being and economic outcomes." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Bogliacino, Francesco, Cristiano Codagnone, Frans Folkvord & Francisco Lupiáñez-Villanueva (2022): The impact of labour market shocks on mental health. Evidence from the COVID-19 first wave. (SocArXiv papers), 33 S. DOI:10.31235/osf.io/wx9d4

Abstract

"In this study, we estimate the effect of a negative labour market shock on individuals’ levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. We use a dataset collected during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, on a representative sample of citizens from Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom, interviewed on three occasions. We measure stress, anxiety and depression and labour shocks using validated scales. Our research design is a standard differences-in-differences model: we leverage the differential timing of shocks to identify the impact on mental health. In our estimations, a negative labour shock increases the measure of stress, anxiety, and depression by 16% of a standard deviation computed from the baseline." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Bonora, Caterina, Mara Kruse, Sylke Meyerhuber, Alexandra Quaas, Sabine Ritter & Feline Tils (2022): Sozialwissenschaftliche Perspektiven auf die Corona-Pandemie. (IPW working paper 5), Bremen, 200 S.

Abstract

"In der 5. Ausgabe der IPW-Working-Paper-Reihe präsentieren wir die Ergebnisse des Workshops zur Corona-Pandemie, den wir am 9. Juni 2021 auf Fachbereichsebene abgehalten haben. Die Beiträge reflektieren die Pandemie aus unterschiedlichen disziplinären, analytischen und politischen Perspektiven." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Burke, Helen (2022): Living and working in Europe 2021. (Eurofound yearbook : living and working in Europe), Dublin, 97 S. DOI:10.2806/880965

Abstract

"The COVID-19 pandemic continued to be a defining force in the lives and work of Europeans for a second year in 2021, and Eurofound continued its work of examining and recording the many and diverse impacts across the EU Member States. Living and working in Europe 2021 provides a snapshot of the changes to employment, work and living conditions in Europe, as gathered by Eurofound’s research activities in 2021. This yearbook also summarises the Agency’s findings on other challenging aspects of social and economic life – including gender equality in employment, wealth inequality and labour shortages – that will have a significant bearing on recovery from the pandemic, resilience in the face of the war in Ukraine, and a successful transition to a green and digital future. Eurofound’s research on working and living conditions in Europe provides a bedrock of evidence for input into social policymaking and achieving the Agency’s vision ‘to be Europe’s leading knowledge source for better life and work’." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Buss, Klaus-Peter (2022): Infrastrukturen der Globalisierung. Entwicklungsprozesse und Akteurskonstellationen in der maritimen Wirtschaft. (SOFI-Arbeitspapier 27), Göttingen, 47 S.

Abstract

"Die Globalisierung ist in der Krise. Im Zentrum des Papers steht mit der maritimen Wirtschaft ein zentraler, trotzdem aber wenig wahrgenommener gesellschaftlicher Ankerpunkt der globalen Wirtschaft. Auch wenn maritime Transportprozesse sich heute weitgehend außerhalb der Lebenswelt der meisten Menschen abspielen, würden die globalen Wertschöpfungsverflechtungen, die wir heute als Globalisierung verstehen, ohne sie kaum bestehen. Die maritimen Transportnetze sind zugleich Vorbedingung und Ausdruck globaler Wertschöpfungsketten und Produktionsnetzwerke und damit von zentraler volkswirtschaftlicher Bedeutung. Der vorliegende Text fragt vor diesem Hintergrund nach der historischen Entwicklung und nach aktuellen Veränderungsprozessen in der maritimen Transportwirtschaft. Er zeigt, wie diese Infrastrukturen der Globalisierung von den Akteuren des privaten und des öffentlichen Sektors in den verschiedenen historischen Phasen gemeinsam geschaffen werden und sich dabei von lokalen Infrastrukturen zu Knotenpunkten in globalen Transportnetzwerken entwickeln." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Causa, Orsetta, Michael Abendschein, Nhung Luu, Emilia Soldani & Chiara Soriolo (2022): The post-COVID-19 rise in labour shortages. (OECD Economics Department working papers 1721), Paris, 29 S. DOI:10.1787/e60c2d1c-en

Abstract

"The labour market recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic has been strong among advanced countries, partly reflecting massive and unprecedented policy support to workers and firms. This paper provides evidence and stylised facts about labour market tightening and labour shortages since the onset of the pandemic. Labour shortages have been widespread across countries, yet particularly in Australia, Canada and the United States; and across industries, yet particularly in contact-intensive ones like accommodation and food, but also manufacturing. This picture is to a good extent driven by cyclical factors: in tight labour markets, workers are more likely to switch for better job opportunities. But this paper argues, based on illustrative evidence, that other factors beyond the economic cycle may also play a role: the post-COVID-19 increase in labour shortages may partly reflect structural changes, in particular changes in preferences, as some workers may no longer accept low-pay and poor or strenuous working conditions." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Di Novi, Cinzia, Paolo Paruolo & Stefano Verzillo (2022): The Role of Employment Protection Legislation Regimes in Shaping the Impact of Job Disruption on Older Workers' Mental Health in Times of COVID-19. (JRC working papers in economics and finance 2022,02), Brüssel, 32 S.

Abstract

"This study exploits individual data from the 8th wave of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) and the SHARE Corona Survey to investigate the mental health consequences of COVID-19 job disruption across different European countries. It focuses on older workers (aged 50 and over) who were exposed to a higher risk of infection from COVID-19 and were also more vulnerable to the risk of long-term unemployment and permanent labour market exits during economic downturns. The relationship between job disruption in times of COVID-19 and older workers' mental health is investigated using differences in country-level employment legislation regimes in the EU. European countries are clustered into three macro-regions with high, intermediate and low employment regulatory protection regulations, using the Employment Protection Legislation (EPL) aggregate score proposed by the OECD. Results reveal a clear EPL gradient: job disruption has a positive and significant impact on older workers' psychological distress especially in those countries where EPL is more binding. The present findings suggest possible mitigating measures for older unemployed in the EU countries with higher Employment Protection legislation." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Dicu, Andreea, Irma Rybnikova & Thomas Steger (2022): How do employees cope with mandatory working from home during COVID-19? In: German Journal of Human Resource Management, Jg. 36, H. 3, S. 300-324. DOI:10.1177/23970022221079049

Abstract

"How do employees who are coerced to work from home during COVID-19 cope with this unprecedented situation? Drawing upon the job-demands-resources (JD-R) model and upon the literature on coping, we analyse empirical qualitative material which stems from two-stage interviews with and online diaries prepared by 15 white-collar employees in Romania. We identify four initial coping types in relation to mandatory working from home: ‘explorers’, ‘statics’, ‘chaotics’ and ‘irremediables’. In the follow-up stage of the field work, the ‘chaotic’ type of coping disappears. These findings in relation to the unique pandemic situation represent a significant contribution to the literature on working from home as well as on coping with stress." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Duarte, António Portugal & Fátima Sol Murta (2022): Macroeconomic Impacts of the Covid-19 Pandemic in Some European Union Countries: A Counterfactual Analysis. (GEE papers 161), Lisboa, 25 S.

Abstract

"The aim of this paper is to analyze the macroeconomic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic in the European Union (27 countries) and, particularly, in four of its economies - Germany, Spain, Italy and Portugal. For this purpose, a counterfactual analysis was conducted based on an ARIMA forecasting model through which the behavior of a set of macroeconomic variables (Gross Domestic Product, public debt, inflation rate, public deficit, and unemployment rate) is examined in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic against a hypothetical scenario without pandemic. In general, the results point to a significantly better performance of all variables in the four countries and in the European Union if the Covid-19 pandemic had not existed. In a scenario without the Covid-19 pandemic, all countries would have achieved higher product levels, showing, however, relatively weaker economic growth rates when compared to the pandemic situation, namely in 2021 and 2022. The results also point to budget surpluses in Germany and Portugal, in 2020, 2021 and 2022, as well as a sharp reduction (over 20 percentage points) in Spanish public debt. In 2021 and 2022, there is also a lower inflationary pressure for the European Union, Germany, Spain and Italy, after a very sharp rise in prices in 2020. Regarding the labor market, with the exception of Germany and European Union, where the unemployment rate would be relatively higher, especially in 2022, the remaining countries would register lower unemployment rates." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Ebbinghaus, Bernhard & Lukas Lehner (2022): Cui bono – business or labour? Job retention policies during the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe. In: Transfer, Jg. 28, H. 1, S. 47-64. DOI:10.1177/10242589221079151

Abstract

"Während der COVID-19-Pandemie musste Europa zahlreiche Herausforderungen bewältigen und auch eine Antwort auf die Frage finden, wie Beschäftigung und Erwerbseinkommen gesichert werden sollen. In unserer vergleichenden Analyse erforschen wir das Ausmaß, in dem europäische Wohlfahrtsstaaten dazu beigetragen haben, diese Krise durch Stabilisierung von Beschäftigung und Arbeitseinkommen zu meistern. Während Kurzarbeit als Instrumentarium bereits teilweise während der Großen Rezession 2008/2009 zum Einsatz gekommen ist, wurden Maßnahmen zur Arbeitsplatzsicherung 2020 in Europa als Antwort auf die Pandemie erweitert oder neu eingeführt. Allerdings existieren in den europäischen Wohlfahrtsstaaten unterschiedliche Vorgehensweisen in der Ausgestaltung und Durchführung dieser Maßnahmen, die mehr oder weniger auf das Halten der Arbeitskräfte abzielen und auf diese Weise Massenenarbeitslosigkeit während der Beschäftigungskrise vermeiden. Wir unterscheiden zwischen einer Logik der Unterstützung von Unternehmen und einer Logik der Unterstützung von Arbeitnehmer:innen, um die unterschiedlichen Strategien des Arbeitsplatzerhalts in Europa zu erklären. Nach unseren Erkenntnissen haben kontinentale, südeuropäische und liberale Wohlfahrtsstaaten mehr unternommen, um durch Kurzarbeit Weiterbeschäftigung zu fördern, als die nordischen oder die mittel- und osteuropäischen Länder." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Eichhorst, Werner, Paul Marx, Ulf Rinne & Johannes Brunner (2022): Job Retention Schemes during COVID-19: A Review of Policy Responses. (IZA policy paper 187), Bonn, 33 S.

Abstract

"This policy brief provides an update on job retention policies in a sample of 20 countries representing the main world regions as well as the diverse types of job retention schemes, in particular short-time work, furlough and wage subsidy schemes as they have been implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We show the diversity of these policies as well as the available information about their (re-)design as the pandemic evolved up to the most recent period. The policy brief raises main issues regarding the implementation and adaptation of job retention policies and illustrated this with four case studies." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Faberman, Jason, Andreas I. Mueller & Ayşegül Şahin (2022): Has the Willingness to Work Fallen during the COVID Pandemic? (IZA discussion paper 15086), Bonn, 50 S.

Abstract

"We examine the effect of the Covid pandemic on willingness to work along both the extensive and intensive margins of labor supply. Special survey questions in the Job Search Supplement of the Survey of Consumer Expectations (SCE) allow us to elicit information about individuals' desired work hours for the 2013-2021 period. Using these questions, along with workers' actual labor market participation, we construct a labor market underutilization measure, the Aggregate Hours Gap (AHG), following Faberman et al. (2020). The AHG captures changes in labor market underutilization for the full population along both the extensive and intensive margins using data on desired work hours as a measure of their potential labor supply. We find that the sharp increase in the AHG during the Covid pandemic essentially disappeared by the end of 2021. We also document a sharp decline in desired work hours during the pandemic that persists through the end of 2021 and is roughly double the drop in the labor force participation rate. Ignoring the decline in desired hours overstates the degree of underutilization by 2.5 percentage points (12.5%). Our findings suggest that, as of 2021Q4, the labor market is tighter than suggested by the unemployment rate and the adverse labor supply effect of the pandemic is more pronounced than implied by the labor force participation rate. These discrepancies underscore the importance of taking into account the intensive margin for both labor market underutilization and potential labor supply." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Fitzenberger, Bernd (2022): Auswirkungen der Corona-Krise auf den Arbeitsmarkt: Was lehrt uns der Blick auf andere Länder? (Podium). In: IAB-Forum H. 10.10.2022 Nürnberg, 2022-10-06. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FOO.20221010.01

Abstract

"Die Corona-Krise hat nicht nur Deutschland, sondern auch andere Länder vor immense wirtschafts-, arbeitsmarkt- und sozialpolitische Herausforderungen gestellt. Die politischen Antworten darauf fielen jedoch von Land zu Land unterschiedlich aus. Zu diesem Fazit gelangte eine hochkarätig besetzte internationale Tagung, die vom 31. August bis 4. September 2022 in Italien stattfand." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Furceri, Davide, Prakash Loungani, Jonathan D. Ostry & Pietro Pizzuto (2022): Will COVID-19 Have Long-Lasting Effects on Inequality? Evidence from Past Pandemics. In: Journal of Economic Inequality, Jg. 20, H. 4, S. 811-839. DOI:10.1007/s10888-022-09540-y

Abstract

"This paper provides evidence on the impact of major epidemics from the past two decades on income distribution. The pandemics in our sample, even though much smaller in scale than COVID-19, have led to increases in the Gini coefficient, raised the income share of higher-income deciles, and lowered the employment-to-population ratio for those with basic education compared to those with higher education. We provide some evidence that the distributional consequences from the current pandemic may be larger than those flowing from the historical pandemics in our sample, and larger than those following typical recessions and financial crises." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

Zitatform

Giupponi, Giulia, Camille Landais & Alice Lapeyre (2022): Should We Insure Workers or Jobs during Recessions? In: The Journal of Economic Perspectives, Jg. 36, H. 2, S. 29-54. DOI:10.1257/jep.36.2.29

Abstract

"What is the most efficient way to respond to recessions in the labor market? To this question, policymakers on the two sides of the pond gave diametrically opposed answers during the COVID-19 crisis. In the United States, the focus was on insuring workers by increasing the generosity of unemployment insurance. In Europe, instead, policies were concentrated on saving jobs, with the expansion of short-time work programs to subsidize labor hoarding. Who got it right? In this article, we show that far from being substitutes, unemployment insurance and short-time work exhibit strong complementarities. They provide insurance to different types of workers and against different types of shocks. Short-time work can be effective at reducing socially costly layoffs against large temporary shocks, but it is less effective against more persistent shocks that require reallocation across firms and sectors. We conclude that short-time work is an important addition to the labor market policy-toolkit during recessions, to be used alongside unemployment insurance." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Jaga, Ameeta & Ariane Ollier-Malaterre (2022): 'You Can't Eat Soap': Reimagining COVID-19, Work, Family and Employment from the Global South. In: Work, Employment and Society, Jg. 36, H. 4, S. 769-780. DOI:10.1177/09500170211069806

Abstract

"This article problematises the assumptions regarding work, family and employment that underlie the World Health Organization (WHO)’s COVID-19 guidelines. The scientific evidence grounding sanitary and social distancing recommendations is embedded in conceptualisations of work as skilled jobs in the formal economy and of family as urban and nuclear. These are Global North rather than universal paradigms. We build on theories from the South and an intersectional analysis of gender and class inequalities to highlight contextual complexities currently neglected in responses to COVID-19. We argue that building on both science and local knowledge can help democratise workable solutions for a range of different work, family and employment realities in the Global South. Finally, we propose a research agenda calling for strengthened North–South dialogue to provincialise knowledge, account for differences in histories, locality and resource-availability, and foster greater local participation in policy formulation regarding sanitary measures and vaccination campaigns." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Kleifgen, Eva, Duncan Roth & Ignat Stepanok (2022): The Covid-19 pandemic and international supply chains. (IAB-Discussion Paper 05/2022), Nürnberg, 23 S. DOI:10.48720/IAB.DP.2205

Abstract

"Die Covid-19 Pandemie hatte einen beträchtlichen Einbruch des internationalen Handels zur Folge, wodurch auch Fragen zur Zukunft internationaler Handelsketten aufgeworfen wurden. Anhand eines Betriebs-Surveys, welches mit administrativen Daten verbunden werden konnte, untersuchen wir, wie Betriebe in Deutschland ihre Lieferketten aufgrund von pandemiebedingten Störungen angepasst haben. Unseren Ergebnissen zu folge weisen Betriebe, bei denen es aufgrund der Pandemie zu Einschränkungen im Bezug von Vorleistungen oder Zwischenprodukten gekommen ist, im Vergleich zu Betrieben ohne solche Beeinträchtigungen eine signifikant höhere Wahrscheinlichkeit auf, einen oder mehrere Lieferanten ausgetauscht zu haben. Dies ist insbesondere dann der Fall, wenn es zu Problemen beim Bezug aus dem Ausland gekommen ist. Betriebe, die von solchen Einschränkungen betroffen sind, haben darüber hinaus eine höhere Wahrscheinlichkeit, weiter entfernte Lieferanten mit näher gelegenen ersetzt zu haben. Den Ergebnissen zufolge handelt es sich dabei jedoch um temporäre Anpassungen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Obst, Thomas & Dan Schläger (2022): Zwei Jahre Pandemie: Wer sind die Gewinner und Verlierer? (IW-Kurzberichte / Institut der Deutschen Wirtschaft Köln 2022,16), Köln, 3 S.

Abstract

"Die weltweite Konjunkturerholung setzt sich trotz des Wiederauflebens der Pandemie weiter fort. Doch dahinter verbergen sich große Unterschiede. Die Corona-Krise hat Gewinner und Verlierer hervorgebracht." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Pouliakas, Konstantinos & Patricia Wruuck (2022): Corporate Training and Skill Gaps: Did COVID-19 Stem EU Convergence in Training Investments? (IZA discussion paper 15343), Bonn, 38 S.

Abstract

"European firms have increasingly invested in training of employees but differences across countries and types of firms remain – and the Covid-19 shock may have exacerbated them. This report analyses European firms' investment in training over the last six years examining trends, factors supporting training investment as well as the impact of the Covid-19 shock. We base the empirical analysis on a unique dataset, the European Investment Bank's Investment Survey (EIBIS), which allows tracking corporate training investment on a yearly basis. To understand dynamics underpinning firms' decision to invest in their workforce, we examine transition patterns and employ dynamic panel data estimation. Finally, we analyze the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on firms' investment in workforce training and transitions in and out of training. We find that despite a slow upward trend in training investment observed in recent years, supported by labour market recovery, differences across firms and countries have persisted. The pandemic risks aggravating these, through its asymmetric impact on labour markets and differences in corporate innovation, firm structure and resilience. While firm training can be an important element for firms and their workforce to adjust to the post-pandemic environment, asymmetries in training investment could make it harder for those already lagging. The paper concludes with a discussion of policy implications." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Stantcheva, Stefanie (2022): Inequalities in the Times of a Pandemic. (NBER working paper 29657), Cambridge, Mass, 51 S. DOI:10.3386/w29657

Abstract

"This paper summarizes the research on some of the major inequalities that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic across OECD countries. It reviews findings related to inequalities across the income distribution, sectors and regions, gender, and inequalities in education inputs for children from different socioeconomic backgrounds." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Albanesi, Stefania & Jiyeon Kim (2021): The Gendered Impact of the COVID-19 Recession on the US Labor Market. (NBER working paper 28505), Cambridge, MA, 37 S. DOI:10.3386/w28505

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 gendered impact of the pandemic. 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." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Allais, Stephanie Matseleng, Horacy Dęmbowski, Elsa Eiríksdóttir, Rolando López Saldaña, Fernando Marhuenda Fluixá, Marianne Teräs, Juraj Vantuch & Pham Viet Ha (2021): Auswirkungen der Corona-Pandemie auf die Berufsbildung. Blitzlichter aus acht Ländern. In: Berufsbildung in Wissenschaft und Praxis, Jg. 50, H. 2, S. 10-14.

Abstract

"Das Coronavirus hält die Welt in Atem. Kontaktbeschränkungen, wirtschaftliche Einbrüche und die Ungewissheit über die weiteren Entwicklungen stellen auch die Berufsbildung vor große Herausforderung. In welcher Weise hat die COVID-19-Pandemie die Berufsbildung getroffen? Welche bildungspolitischen Maßnahmen oder praktischen Lösungen wurden initiiert und welche Entwicklungen werden die Berufsbildung nachhaltig prägen? Diese Fragen haben wir Berufsbildungsexpertinnen und -experten aus acht Ländern gestellt, darunter fünf Mitgliedern der European Research Review Group. Mit ihren Blitzlichtern geben sie Eindrücke in das aktuelle Geschehen weltweit." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Alon, Titan, Sena Coskun, Matthias Doepke, David Koll & Michèle Tertilt (2021): From Mancession to Shecession: Women's Employment in Regular and Pandemic Recessions. (IZA discussion paper 14223), Bonn, 104 S.

Abstract

"We examine the impact of the global recession triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic on women's versus men's employment. Whereas recent recessions in advanced economies usually had a disproportionate impact on men's employment, giving rise to the moniker "mancessions," we show that the pandemic recession of 2020 was a "shecession" in most countries with larger employment declines among women. We examine the causes behind this pattern using micro data from several national labor force surveys, and show that both the composition of women's employment across industries and occupations as well as increased childcare needs during closures of schools and daycare centers made important contributions. While many countries exhibit similar patterns, we also emphasize how policy choices such as furloughing policies and the extent of school closures shape the pandemic's impact on the labor market. Another notable finding is the central role of telecommuting: gender gaps in the employment impact of the pandemic arise almost entirely among workers who are unable to work from home. Nevertheless, among telecommuters a different kind of gender gap arises: women working from home during the pandemic spent more work time also doing childcare and experienced greater productivity reductions than men. We discuss what our findings imply for gender equality in a post-pandemic labor market that will likely continue to be characterized by pervasive telecommuting." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Angelov, Nikolay & Daniel Waldenström (2021): Covid-19 and Income Inequality: Evidence from Monthly Population Registers. (CESifo working paper 9178), München, 35 S.

Abstract

"We measure the distributional impact of the COVID-19 pandemic using newly released population register data in Sweden. Monthly earnings inequality increased during the pandemic, and the key driver is income losses among low-paid individuals while middle- and high-income earners were almost unaffected. The pandemic had a larger negative impact on private-sector workers and on women. Using data on individual take-up of government COVID-19 support, we show that policy significantly dampened the inequality increase, but did not fully offset it. Annual total market income inequality, which also includes capital income and taxable transfers, shows similar patterns of increasing inequality during the pandemic." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Asaria, Miqdad, Joan Costa-Font & Frank A. Cowell (2021): How Does Exposure to COVID-19 Influence Health and Income Inequality Aversion? (IZA discussion paper 14103), Bonn, 47 S.

Abstract

"We study whether exposure to COVID-19 has affected individual aversion to health and income inequality in the UK, Italy, and Germany, as well as the effect of personal shocks on employment (redundancies, government replacement salary and unemployment), income and health directly linked to COVID-19. We find that conditioned on risk aversion and relevant covariates (income, education, demographics), individuals who have experienced either a health or an financial shock during the COVID-19 pandemic, exhibit lower inequality aversion in terms of health and income, compared to those who have not experienced these shocks. Comparing levels of health and income inequality aversion in the UK between the years 2016 and 2020 we find a significant increase in inequality aversion from 2016 to 2020 in both health (17.3%) and income domains (8.8%). However, our difference-in-differences (DiD) for treatment (risk) groups defined in terms of age, region and personal exposure to health and income shocks in 2020 compared to 2016, does not indicate any additional difference in inequality aversion. The exception being individuals who are both in a high-risk age group and at the same time also experienced a health shock in 2020 compared to 2016, which are significantly more inequality averse in both health and income domains." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Aspachs, Oriol, Ruben Durante, Alberto Graziano, Josep Mestres, Marta Reynal-Querol & Jose G. Montalvo (2021): Tracking the impact of COVID-19 on economic inequality at high frequency. In: PLoS ONE, Jg. 16, H. 3. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0249121

Abstract

"Pandemics have historically had a significant impact on economic inequality. However, official inequality statistics are only available at low frequency and with considerable delay, which challenges policymakers in their objective to mitigate inequality and fine-tune public policies. We show that using data from bank records it is possible to measure economic inequality at high frequency. The approach proposed in this paper allows measuring, timely and accurately, the impact on inequality of fast-unfolding crises, like the COVID-19 pandemic. Applying this approach to data from a representative sample of over three million residents of Spain we find that, absent government intervention, inequality would have increased by almost 30% in just one month. The granularity of the data allows analyzing with great detail the sources of the increases in inequality. In the Spanish case we find that it is primarily driven by job losses and wage cuts experienced by low-wage earners. Government support, in particular extended unemployment insurance and benefits for furloughed workers, were generally effective at mitigating the increase in inequality, though less so among young people and foreign-born workers. Therefore, our approach provides knowledge on the evolution of inequality at high frequency, the effectiveness of public policies in mitigating the increase of inequality and the subgroups of the population most affected by the changes in inequality. This information is fundamental to fine-tune public policies on the wake of a fast-moving pandemic like the COVID-19." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Baert, Stijn (2021): What Shifts Did Covid-19 Year 2020 Bring To The Labour Market In Europe? (Working paper / Ghent University. Faculty of Economics and Business Administration 2021,1014), Gent, 15 S.

Abstract

"This article discusses the evolution of key labour market indicators in the EU-27 countries between 2019 and 2020, i.e. between the year before the covid-19 crisis broke out and the year in which it impacted the economy heavily. Whereas earlier policy-oriented studies have dealt with the evolution of unemployment in 2020, often country by country, this article focuses on the evolution of unemployment as well as inactivity across European countries. Indeed, previous crises have typically lead not only to more unemployment but also to larger numbers of discouraged unemployed and thus more inactivity. It appears that the Southern European countries, in particular, recorded increases in inactivity, while the Baltic States experienced higher unemployment. In many other countries, unemployment and inactivity remained remarkably stable despite covid-19." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Baptista, Isabel, Eric Marlier, Slavina Spasova, Ramón Peña-Casas, Boris Fronteddu, Dalila Ghailani, Sebastiano Sabato & Pietro Regazzoni (2021): Social protection and inclusion Policy responses to the COVID-19 crisis. An analysis of policies in 35 countries. Brussels, 192 S. DOI:10.2767/10153

Abstract

"This report from the European Social Policy Network (ESPN) examines (sub)national social protection and inclusion policy responses to the COVID-19 crisis in the 27 EU Member States, the UK, and the 7 candidate and potential candidate countries. It reveals an overall rapid reaction through the introduction of (mostly) temporary measures - primarily relaxing eligibility conditions, increasing benefit levels and creating new ad hoc social and job protection schemes. These emergency measures helped avert a massive social crisis and some would have seemed impossible one year previously. Yet they also highlighted the weaknesses and gaps in existing social protection and inclusion policies, and the pressing need to address these. Although these measures were the main tools used to tackle the socio-economic impact of the pandemic, the report underlines their limited transformative potential for countries’ social protection systems. It proposes a series of specific actions that could usefully be considered at national and/or EU level." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Barrett, Philip, Sonali Das, Giacomo Magistretti, Evgenia Pugacheva & Philippe Wingender (2021): After-Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Prospects for Medium-Term Economic Damage. (IMF working paper 2021,203), Washington, DC, 23 S.

Abstract

"The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a severe global recession with differential impacts within and across countries. This paper examines the possible persistent effects (scarring) of the pandemic on the economy and the channels through which they may occur. History suggests that deep recessions often leave long-lived scars, particularly to productivity. Importantly, financial instabilities—typically associated with worse scarring—have been largely avoided in the current crisis so far. While medium-term output losses are anticipated to be lower than after the global financial crisis, they are still expected to be substantial. The degree of expected scarring varies across countries, depending on the structure of economies and the size of the policy response. Emerging market and developing economies are expected to suffer more scarring than advanced economies." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Bluedorn, John, Francesca Caselli, Niels-Jakob Hansen, Ippei Shibata & Marina M. Tavares (2021): Gender and employment in the COVID-19 recession: Cross-country evidence on “she-cessions”. In: Covid economics H. 76, S. 87-109.

Abstract

"Early evidence on the pandemic’s effects pointed to women’s employment falling disproportionately, leading observers to call a “she-cession.” This paper documents the extent and persistence of this phenomenon in a quarterly sample of 38 advanced and emerging market economies. We show that there is a large degree of heterogeneity across countries, with over half to two-thirds exhibiting larger declines in women’s than men’s employment rates. These gender differences in COVID-19’s effects are typically short-lived, lasting only a quarter or two on average. We also show that she-cessions are strongly related to COVID-19’s impacts on gender shares in employment within sectors." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Born, Benjamin, Alexander M. Dietrich & Gernot J. Müller (2021): The lockdown effect: A counterfactual for Sweden. In: PLoS ONE, Jg. 16, H. 4. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0249732

Abstract

"While most countries imposed a lockdown in response to the first wave of COVID-19 infections, Sweden did not. To quantify the lockdown effect, we approximate a counterfactual lockdown scenario for Sweden through the outcome in a synthetic control unit. We find, first, that a 9-week lockdown in the first half of 2020 would have reduced infections and deaths by about 75% and 38%, respectively. Second, the lockdown effect starts to materialize with a delay of 3–4 weeks only. Third, the actual adjustment of mobility patterns in Sweden suggests there has been substantial voluntary social restraint, although the adjustment was less strong than under the lockdown scenario. Lastly, we find that a lockdown would not have caused much additional output loss." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Brodeur, Abel, Suraiya Bhuyian, Anik Islam & David Gray (2021): A Literature Review of the Economics of COVID-19. (Working paper / Department of Economics, University of Ottawa 2103E), Ottawa, 63 S.

Abstract

"The goal of this piece is to survey the developing and rapidly growing literature on the economic consequences of COVID-19 and the governmental responses, and to synthetize the insights emerging from a very large number of studies. This survey: (i) provides an overview of the data sets and the techniques employed to measure social distancing and COVID-19 cases and deaths; (ii) reviews the literature on the determinants of compliance with and the effectiveness of social distancing; (iii) the macroeconomic and financial impacts, including the modelling of plausible mechanisms; (iv) summarizes the literature on the socio-economic consequences of COVID-19, focusing on those aspects related to labor, health, gender, discrimination, and the environment, and v) summarizes the literature on public policy responses." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Burkhauser, Richard V., Kevin Corinth & Douglas Holtz-Eakin (2021): Policies to Help the Working Class in the Aftermath of COVID-19: Lessons from the Great Recession. (IZA discussion paper 14166), Bonn, 16 S.

Abstract

"The COVID-19 pandemic and the associated government mandated shutdowns caused a historic shock to the U.S. economy and a disproportionate job loss concentrated among the working class. While an unprecedented social safety net policy response successfully offset earnings loses among lower-wage workers, the risk of continued and persistent unemployment remains higher among the working class. The key lesson from the Great Recession is that strong economic growth and a hot labor market do more to improve the economic wellbeing of the working class and historically disadvantaged groups than a slow recovery that relies on safety net policies to help replace lost earnings. Thus, the best way to prevent a "K-shaped" recovery is to ensure that safety net policies do not interfere with a return to the strong pre-pandemic economy once the health risk subsides, and that pro-growth policies that incentivize business investment and hiring are maintained." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Chernoff, Alex & Casey Warman (2021): COVID-19 and Implications for Automation. (Staff working paper / Bank of Canada 2021,25), Ottawa, 29 S.

Abstract

"COVID-19 may accelerate the automation of jobs as employers invest in technology to safeguard against pandemics. We identify occupations that have high automation potential and also exhibit a high risk of viral infection. We examine regional variation in terms of which U.S. local labor markets are most at risk. Next, we outline the differential impacts COVID-19 may have on different demographic groups. We find that the highest-risk occupations in the U.S. are those held by females with mid- to low wage and education levels. Using comparable data for 25 other countries, we also find that women in this demographic are at the highest risk internationally. We examine monthly employment data from the U.S. and find that women in high-risk occupations experienced a larger initial decline in employment and a weaker recovery during the pandemic." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Clark, Andrew, Conchita D'Ambrosio & Anthony Lepinteur (2021): The Fall in Income Inequality during COVID-19 in Five European Countries. (HAL open science), Paris, 39 S.

Abstract

"We here use panel data from the COME-HERE survey to track income inequality during COVID-19 in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Sweden. Relative inequality in equivalent household disposable income among individuals changed in a hump-shaped way over 2020. An initial rise from January to May was more than reversed by September. Absolute inequality also fell over this period. As such, policy responses may have been of more benefit for the poorer than for the richer." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Clark, Andrew E., Conchita D'Ambrosio & Anthony Lepinteur (2021): The fall in income inequality during COVID-19 in four European countries. In: Journal of Economic Inequality, Jg. 19, H. 3, S. 489-507. DOI:10.1007/s10888-021-09499-2

Abstract

"We here use panel data from the COME-HERE survey to track income inequality during COVID-19 in France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. Relative inequality in equivalent household disposable income among individuals changed in a hump-shaped way between January 2020 and January 2021, with an initial rise from January to May 2020 being more than reversed by September 2020. Absolute inequality also fell over this period. Due to the pandemic some households lost more than others, and government compensation schemes were targeted towards the poorest, implying that on average income differences decreased. Generalized Lorenz domination reveals that these distributive changes reduced welfare in Italy." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

Zitatform

Cook, Rose & Damian Grimshaw (2021): A gendered lens on COVID-19 employment and social policies in Europe. In: European Societies, Jg. 23, H. sup1, S. S215-S227. DOI:10.1080/14616696.2020.1822538

Abstract

"The COVID-19 outbreak and resultant economic crisis has led to governments in Europe taking extraordinary action to support citizens. Bodies such as the International Labour Organisation (ILO) recommend such measures should include targeted support for the most affected population groups. Women form one of these groups, with disproportionate impacts on their employment and economic resources already documented. Although the disruption brought about by the COVID-19 crisis has the potential to reshape gender relations for everyone’s benefit, there are concerns that the crisis will exacerbate underlying gender inequalities. Though these impacts are likely to be felt globally, public policy has the potential to mitigate them and to ensure a gender-sensitive recovery from the crisis. This paper introduces a gendered lens on the employment and social policies European countries have established since the crisis, with a brief comparative analysis of short-time working schemes in four countries – Germany, Italy, Norway, and the UK. Ongoing research seeks to extend the comparative, gendered analysis of the design, access and impacts of COVID-19 employment and social policies across Europe." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Demary, Markus (2021): Will COVID-19 Cause Insolvencies, Zombification or Debt Deleveraging? (IW-Kurzberichte / Institut der Deutschen Wirtschaft Köln 2021,03), Köln, 3 S.

Abstract

"The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the financial positions of many companies. For the next months, a wave of insolvencies, a zombification caused by rescue measures or a debt deleveraging are on the table. Which of the three scenarios will dominate, depends, however, on the efficiency of restructuring measures." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Deole, Sumit S., Max Deter & Yue Huang (2021): Home Sweet Home: Working from home and employee performance during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. (GLO discussion paper / Global Labor Organization 791), Maastricht, 35 S.

Abstract

"In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced governments in many countries to ask employees to work from home (WFH) where possible. Using representative data from the UK, we show that increases in WFH frequency are associated with a higher self-perceived productivity per hour and an increase in weekly working hours among the employed. The WFH-productivity relationship is stronger for employees residing in regions worse affected by the pandemic and those who previously commuted longer distances, while it is weaker for mothers with childcare responsibilities. Also, we find that employees with higher autonomy over job tasks and work hours and those with childcare responsibilities worked longer hours when working from home. With prospects that WFH possibility may remain permanently open for some employees, we discuss our results' labor market policy implications." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Deryugina, Tatyana, Olga Shurchkov & Jenna E. Stearns (2021): COVID-19 Disruptions Disproportionately Affect Female Academics. (NBER working paper 28360), Cambridge, MA, 31 S. DOI:10.3386/w28360

Abstract

"The rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent countermeasures, such as school closures, the shift to working from home, and social distancing are disrupting economic activity around the world. As with other major economic shocks, there are winners and losers, leading to increased inequality across certain groups. In this project, we investigate the effects of COVID-19 disruptions on the gender gap in academia. We administer a global survey to a broad range of academics across various disciplines to collect nuanced data on the respondents' circumstances, such as a spouse's employment, the number and ages of children, and time use. We find that female academics, particularly those who have children, report a disproportionate reduction in time dedicated to research relative to what comparable men and women without children experience. Both men and women report substantial increases in childcare and housework burdens, but women experienced significantly larger increases than men did." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Djankov, Simeon, Eva Yiwen Zhang, Pinelopi Koujianou Goldberg & Marie Hyland (2021): The evolving gender gap in labor force participation during COVID-19. (Policy Brief / Peterson Institute for International Economics 2021,8), Washington, DC, 19 S.

Abstract

"Despite many significant gains by women in the paid workforce in recent decades, the percentage of women participating in the labor force has remained lower than the percentage of male participants. Now, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the global economic downturn it precipitated, the gap in labor force participation between men and women in some economies has actually widened, with potentially damaging repercussions for women’s career prospects and pay. The pandemic has disproportionately affected sectors employing more women, such as retail stores, restaurants, and the hotel and hospitality business. An increase in family caregiving responsibilities because of school and childcare closures has also fallen on working mothers' shoulders. Both factors have pulled women out of the labor force. The authors track trends in male and female labor force participation in 43 countries and find substantial differences across countries in the way women’s participation has been affected relative to that of men. In some countries, such as Colombia, Chile, and Cyprus, the gender gap in labor force participation widened the most during the pandemic. The gender gap also widened in the United States, driving 2.5 million women from their jobs in what Vice President Kamala Harris called a “national emergency” for women. In other economies, such as Luxembourg and Lithuania, the gender gap in labor force participation, unexpectedly, shrank during the early period of the pandemic. On average, female employees have fared better in countries where women are less concentrated in the services sector, less likely to be employed as temporary workers, and where laws supported greater equality at the onset of the crisis. Greater government expenditure on childcare in the pre-COVID-19 era, however, does not appear to have insulated female workers from the damaging repercussions of the pandemic." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Doerr, S., M. Erdem, G. Franco, L. Gambacorta & A. Illes (2021): Technological capacity and firms' recovery from Covid-19. In: Economics Letters, Jg. 209. DOI:10.1016/j.econlet.2021.110102

Abstract

"Can higher technological capacity help firms to recover quicker from recessions? Analysing the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on firm revenues in several countries, we find that firms headquartered in jurisdictions with better digital infrastructure generated relatively higher revenue during the shock period. Improving a country's technological capability by one standard deviation is associated with a relative increase in revenues of the average firm by around 4%. The positive effect of technology is more pronounced among smaller firms, suggesting that it could have helped the recovery of SMEs." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2022 Elsevier) ((en))

Zitatform

Doorley, Karina, Cathal O'Donoghue & Denisa Maria Sologon (2021): The Gender Gap in Income and the COVID-19 Pandemic. (IZA discussion paper 14360), Bonn, 32 S.

Abstract

"The gender income gap is large and well documented for many countries. Recent research shows that it is mainly driven by differences in working patterns between men and women, but also by wage differences. The tax-benefit system cushions the gender income gap by redistributing between men and women. The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in unprecedented levels of unemployment in 2020 in many countries, with some suggestion that men and women have been differently affected. This research investigates the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on the gender gap in income in Ireland. Using nowcasting techniques and microsimulation, we model the effect of pandemic induced employment and wage changes on market and disposable income. We show how the pandemic and the associated tax-benefit support can be expected to change the income gap between men and women. Policy conclusions are drawn about future redistribution between men and women." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Drahokoupil, Jan & Torsten Müller (2021): Job retention schemes in Europe. A lifeline during the Covid-19 pandemic. (Working paper / European Trade Union Institute 2021.07), Brussels, 61 S.

Abstract

"This paper analyses the job retention schemes implemented in response to the Covid-19 crisis, showing quantitative trends and differences in terms of expenditure on the schemes and the number of workers involved. The key focus is on a qualitative analysis of the schemes’ key properties. In order to understand the diversity of job retention schemes implemented in the Covid-19 crisis, we first develop a typology, distinguishing between three underlying types: short-time work schemes, furlough schemes, and wage subsidies. We then provide a comparative overview of the different schemes implemented in the context of the crisis, considering their design as well as their size in terms of expenditure, and map adjustments made to them in the course of the crisis. The third section analyses the evolution of the take-up of the schemes in the course of 2020. The remaining sections discuss in detail such key properties as: eligibility criteria, the level of support for employees and employers, the role of collective bargaining and worker participation, dismissal protection, measures to avoid misuse, and training provisions. The paper concludes by drawing lessons from experiences with the Covid-19 pandemic in light of the discussion on whether and how permanent schemes should be established. It argues that the main issue is to find a design that balances the interests of all stakeholders. This would require meaningful financial participation on the part of employers, effective integration of the schemes into active labour market policies, and provisions to avoid misuse, including the effective involvement of worker participation and collective bargaining structures." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Emmerling, Johannes, Davide Furceri, Francisco Líbano Monteiro, Prakash Loungani, Jonathan D. Ostry, Pietro Pizzuto & Massimo Tavoni (2021): Will the Economic Impact of COVID-19 Persist? Prognosis from 21st Century Pandemics. (IMF working paper 2021,119), Washington, DC, 38 S.

Abstract

"COVID-19 has had a disruptive economic impact in 2020, but how long its impact will persist remains unclear. We offer a prognosis based on an analysis of the effects of five previous major epidemics in this century. We find that these pandemics led to significant and persistent reductions in disposable income, along with increases in unemployment, income inequality and public debt-to-GDP ratios. Energy use and CO2 emissions dropped, but mostly because of the persistent decline in the level of economic activity rather than structural changes in the energy sector. Applying our empirical estimates to project the impact of COVID-19, we foresee significant scarring in economic performance and income distribution through 2025, which be associated with an increase in poverty of about 75 million people. Policy responses more effective than those in the past would be required to forestall these outcomes." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Ferdosi, Mohammad (2021): Canada’s unemployment insurance in crisis. In: International Journal of Social Welfare, Jg. 30, H. 2, S. 182-192. DOI:10.1111/ijsw.12448

Abstract

"The past several decades in Canada have been marked by systematic attempts to restructure the federally regulated unemployment insurance system, despite growing unemployment and the need for labour market relief. Several program changes, including tightening eligibility requirements, lowering benefits, increasing administrative burdens, limiting enrolment duration and intensifying surveillance have significantly impacted the level and quality of support available to some of the most vulnerable sections of the population. Although Canada weathered the 2008 crisis relatively well, it undertook similar cuts as some of the worst hit European Union members. In line with OECD recommendations, Canadian measures have been rationalised as a means of strengthening work incentives, stimulating growth and reducing deficits. The effect of the coronavirus has been to challenge these longstanding assumptions and policies, pointing to the need for expanded state efforts to cushion social and economic risks in the face of clear evidence of market failure." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

Zitatform

Fiaschi, Davide & Cristina Tealdi (2021): Young People between Education and the Labour Market during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy. (IZA discussion paper 14479), Bonn, 16 S.

Abstract

"We analyse the distribution and the flows between different types of employment (self-employment, temporary, and permanent), unemployment, education, and other types of inactivity, with particular focus on the duration of the school-to-work transition (STWT). The aim is to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy on the careers of individuals aged 15-34. We find that the pandemic worsened an already concerning situation of higher unemployment and inactivity rates and significantly longer STWT duration compared to other EU countries, particularly for females and residents in the South of Italy. In the midst of the pandemic, individuals aged 20-29 were less in (permanent and temporary) employment and more in the NLFET (Neither in the Labour Force nor in Education or Training) state, particularly females and non Italian citizens. We also provide evidence of an increased propensity to return to schooling, but most importantly of a substantial prolongation of the STWT duration towards permanent employment, mostly for males and non Italian citizens. Our contribution lies in providing a rigorous estimation and analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on the carriers of young individuals in Italy, which has not yet been explored in the literature." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Finamor, Lucas & Dana Scott (2021): Labor market trends and unemployment insurance generosity during the pandemic. In: Economics Letters, Jg. 199. DOI:10.1016/j.econlet.2020.109722

Abstract

"We test whether changes in unemployment insurance (UI) benefit generosity under the CARES Act in the US are associated with differential employment outcomes under the distinct conditions of the pandemic. While we observe a negative association between UI generosity and employment, we show that the relative employment gap arises before the Act was instituted, decreases in magnitude when the augmented benefits were in place, and does not change when the benefits expansion expires." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2021 Elsevier) ((en))

Zitatform

Fischer, Georg & Michael Landesmann (2021): The Covid Crisis: Occupational Impacts in EU Economies and Policy Suggestions. (WIIW policy notes and reports 53), Wien, 36 S.

Abstract

"This policy note examines sectoral and occupational employment impacts of the Covid-19 crisis. The crisis hit EU economies (and advanced economies in general) as they were already undergoing important structural changes due to technological change (digitisation), a factor affecting most organisations now and in the future. Some of these changes accelerated during the pandemic, along with at times dramatic changes in sectoral demand patterns (due to lock-downs) and shifts in work organisation, all of which had strongly differential impacts on various occupational groups. The policy note studies in-depth occupational employment patterns before and during the pandemic using detailed Labour Force Statistics, including analysis of the differentiated impacts on women and men. The major policy challenge is to avoid lasting gaps in overall employment as economies recover and as temporary support schemes are phased out. Further, policy makers need to focus attention on how to accompany the continuing changes in structural employment patterns. These changes can have significant and lasting impacts on the employment prospects of different segments of the labour force (in terms of age, gender and educational/skill levels). The policy note postulates a number of policy actions which should be embarked upon, both at the national and EU level." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Fuest, Clemens, Jürgen Matthes, Peter Buerstedde, Henrik Uterwedde, Marc Lehnfeld, Hubert Fromlet, Torsten Graap, Peter Sparding & Markus Taube (2021): Restart nach Corona: Krisenpakete im Vergleich. In: Ifo-Schnelldienst, Jg. 74, H. 12, S. 3-30.

Abstract

"In den kurzen Atempausen zwischen den Wellen der Corona-Pandemie nutzen viele Regierungen die Zeit, um Strategien für die wirtschaftliche Erholung und den Restart nach Corona zu entwickeln. Dazu gehören die Gewährleistung eines reibungslosen Strukturwandels, die digitale Transformation sowie die Bekämpfung des Klimawandels. Gefragt sind Finanzierungskonzepte, die die Staatsverschuldung in Grenzen halten und den Sozialstaat nicht über Gebühr belasten. Wie kann ein Restart nach Corona unter diesen Bedingungen gelingen? Welche Lösungen haben andere Länder gefunden, und welche Lehren lassen sich hieraus ziehen?" (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Furceri, Davide, Prakash Loungani, Jonathan D. Ostry & Pietro Pizzuto (2021): The Rise in Inequality after Pandemics: Can Fiscal Support Play a Mitigating Role? (IMF working paper 2021,120), Washington, DC, 27 S.

Abstract

"Major epidemics of the last two decades (SARS, H1N1, MERS, Ebola and Zika) have been followed by increases in inequality (Furceri, Loungani, Ostry and Pizzuto, 2020). In this paper, we show that the extent of fiscal consolidation in the years following the onset of these pandemics has played an important role in determining the extent of the increase in inequality. Episodes marked by extreme austerity—measured using either the government's fiscal balance, health expenditures or redistribution—have been associated with an increase in the Gini measure of inequality three times as large as in episodes where fiscal policy has been more supportive. We survey the evidence thus far on the distributional impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, which suggests that inequality is likely to increase in the absence of strong policy actions. We review the case made by many observers (IMF 2020; Stiglitz 2020; Sandbu 2020b) that fiscal support should not be withdrawn prematurely despite understandable concerns about high public debt-to-GDP ratios." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Gonzalez-Pampillon, Nicolas, Gonzalo Nunez-Chaim & Katharina Ziegler (2021): Recovering from the first Covid-19 lockdown: Economic impacts of the UK's Eat Out to Help out scheme. (Covid-19 analysis series / Centre for Economic Performance 018), London, 27 S.

Abstract

"The hospitality sector was particularly hard-hit by restrictions introduced to stop the spread of COVID-19. The Eat Out to Help Out (EOTHO) scheme – implemented in August 2020 after the 1st national lockdown had ended – aimed to boost demand and protect jobs in the food service sector. Participating businesses in EOTHO offered a 50% discount from Monday to Wednesday, up to £10 per person, on food and non-alcoholic drinks consumed on the premises. To capture some of the effects from the policy, we look at footfall using daily mobility data from Google and employment using daily data on job posts from Indeed UK. Our empirical strategy relies on the observed spatial variation in uptake of the scheme. We exploited this variation comparing locations with different take-up before and after the introduction of the policy. The results indicate that EOTHO induced higher footfall (by 5%-6%) associated with recreational activities, concentrated on specific days when the discount was available (Mondays to Wednesdays in August). However, the programme failed to encourage people to go out for other purposes and to eat out after the discount ended. EOTHO also increased recruitment in the food preparation & service sector. We observe an increase in the number of jobs posts (by 7%-14%) on the Indeed website. We do not find evidence of an increase in the number of job posts in other industries, suggesting the effect on recruitment was concentrated on food establishments. As this indicator measures the flow of job adverts, a transitory effect on job posts could stillimply a permanent increase in the number of employees. Over 160 million meals were claimed by the end of September 2020, with government spending £849 million on the policy. Data limitations as well as the interaction between different policies complicate any cost-benefit calculation of the programme. On top of that, there is evidence indicating the increase in footfall due to EOTHO had an adverse effect on new COVID-19 cases. Thus, any economic gains from the scheme may have come at the cost of more infections. Further research – using administrative data – is needed to assess the overall cost-effectiveness of EOTHO." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Grimme, Christian (2021): Auswirkungen der Corona-Pandemie auf die globalen Leistungsbilanzsalden. In: ifo Schnelldienst digital, Jg. 2, H. 2, S. 1-4.

Abstract

"Der Ausbruch der Corona-Pandemie hat die globale Konjunktur und den internationalen Handel stark beeinträchtigt. Die wirtschaftliche Aktivität brach im ersten Halbjahr 2020 drastisch ein und erholte sich kräftig im zweiten Halbjahr. Ein ähnliches Muster zeigt sich beim grenzüberschreitenden Warenverkehr. Der folgende Beitrag gibt einen kurzen Überblick über die Entwicklung der Leistungsbilanzsalden in Deutschland und im Rest der Welt im abgelaufenen Jahr. Leistungsbilanzsalden beinhalten dabei alle Transaktionen zwischen dem Inland und dem Ausland, die nicht im Zusammenhang mit dem grenzüberschreitenden Kapitalverkehr stehen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Gros, Daniel & Alexandre Ounnas (2021): Labour market responses to the Covid-19 crisis in the United States and Europe. (CEPS working document 2021,01), Brüssel, 16 S.

Abstract

"Labour markets have reacted very differently to the Covid-19 crisis. In the US, the impact on unemployment rates was rapid across all states. They increased sharply in March and April 2020 and recovered steadily thereafter. In Europe, by contrast, unemployment increased far less, and the adjustment was more gradual. This difference in unemployment responsiveness is most likely a consequence of the widespread use of short-term work schemes in Europe, given that the transatlantic differences in hours worked overall are much smaller than for unemployment. Using data from US states and EU member states, an econometric analysis of the impact of the restrictions (lockdowns) implemented by governments to contain the spread of the virus reveals that in the case of the US, unemployment appears to have been driven mostly by the aggregate shock generated by the pandemic as it played out between March and November 2020. In the EU, unemployment showed little variation. The Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions (NPIs) used in different US states and EU countries, as can be demonstrated through a regression analysis, did not always have significant effects on unemployment." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Haupt, Marlene & Viola Lind (2021): Gleichstellung in der Krise – Eine vergleichende Analyse der Auswirkungen der Corona-Pandemie auf die Gleichstellung der Geschlechter in Deutschland und Schweden. In: Sozialer Fortschritt, Jg. 70, H. 5/6, S. 267-291. DOI:10.3790/sfo.70.5-6.267

Abstract

"In Deutschland sind Frauen pandemiebedingt stärker von Kurzarbeit und Arbeitslosigkeit sowie von Problemen der Vereinbarkeit von Familie und Beruf betroffen als Männer. Gleichzeitig arbeiten sie aufgrund der geschlechtersegregierten Arbeitswelt häufiger in schlechter bezahlten systemrelevanten Berufen. Staatliche Hilfs- und Unterstützungsangebote zur Krisenbewältigung umfassen primär finanzielle Leistungen und Beratungsmöglichkeiten. In entscheidenden wissenschaftlichen und politischen Beratergremien sind Frauen unterrepräsentiert. Der Vergleich mit Schweden verdeutlicht, dass dort die Geschlechtergleichstellung in Normalzeiten stark institutionell verankert wurde. Gender Mainstreaming, Gender Budgeting und Gender Monitoring sind daher auch in Krisenzeiten fester Bestandteil der Strategien. Das schwedische Beispiel zeigt wichtige alternative Herangehensweisen und Denkanstöße für die Debatte um eine geschlechtergerechte Krisenpolitik in Deutschland." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Hershbein, Brad J. & Harry J. Holzer (2021): The COVID-19 Pandemic's Evolving Impacts on the Labor Market: Who's Been Hurt and What We Should Do. (Upjohn Institute working paper 341), Kalamazoo, Mich., 47 S. DOI:10.17848/wp21-341

Abstract

"In this paper, we shed light on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the labor market, and how they have evolved over most of the year 2020. Relying primarily on microdata from the CPS and state-level data on virus caseloads, mortality, and policy restrictions, we consider a range of employment outcomes—including permanent layoffs, which generate large and lasting costs—and how these outcomes vary across demographic groups, occupations, and industries over time. We also examine how these employment patterns vary across different states, according to the timing and severity of virus caseloads, deaths, and closure measures. We find that the labor market recovery of the summer and early fall stagnated in late fall and early winter. As noted by others, we find low-wage and minority workers are hardest hit initially, but that recoveries have varied, and not always consistently, between Blacks and Hispanics. Statewide business closures and other restrictions on economic activity reduce employment rates concurrently but do not seem to have lingering effects once relaxed. In contrast, virus deaths—but not caseloads—not only depress current employment but produce accumulating harm. We conclude with policy options for states to repair their labor markets." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Hossain, Mobarak (2021): Gender differences in experiencing Coronavirus-triggered economic hardship. Evidence from four developing countries. In: Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, Jg. 71, S. 1-5. DOI:10.1016/j.rssm.2020.100555

Zitatform

Hüther, Michael, Matthias Diermeier & Henry Goecke (2021): Erschöpft durch die Pandemie. Was bleibt von der Globalisierung? Wiesbaden: Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH, 295 S.

Abstract

"Die Erschöpfung der Globalisierung hat sich in den vergangenen Jahren immer weiter verstärkt. Der Covid-19-Schock erreichte die Welt auf dem bisherigen Höhepunkt des Systemkonflikts zwischen chinesischem Staatskapitalismus und dem zunehmend gespaltenen transatlantischen Westen. Die Europäische Union wirkt in ihrer Reaktion darauf überwiegend träge. Handlungsfähig zeigen sich in Europa hingegen die nationalstaatlichen Hierarchien. Dieses Buch verbindet den zeitlichen Kontext mit der Wirkungsperspektive. Damit drängt sich die Frage auf: Was bleibt von der Globalisierung, nachdem sie erschöpft durch die Pandemie ging? Die Antwort liegt nicht in einer isolierten ökonomischen Analyse der Pandemie, sondern in der Einordnung von Strukturen und Bedingungen der Globalisierung. Damit werden neue Optionen erkundet, Probleme und Defizite benannt sowie Möglichkeiten künftiger Kooperationen skizziert. Die Globalisierung hat damit die Chance, sich in der Resilienz einer offenen, freiheitlichen Welt mit ihren Ordnungsschwächen und Orientierungsverlusten neu zu begründen." (Verlagsangaben, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Jaeger, David A., Jaime Arellano-Bover, Krzysztof Karbownik, Marta Martínez-Matute, John M. Nunley & R. Alan Seals (2021): The Global COVID-19 Student Survey: First Wave Results. (IZA discussion paper 14419), Bonn, 171 S.

Abstract

"University students have been particularly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. We present results from the first wave of the Global COVID-19 Student Survey, which was administered at 28 universities in the United States, Spain, Australia, Sweden, Austria, Italy, and Mexico between April and October 2020. The survey addresses contemporaneous outcomes and future expectations regarding three fundamental aspects of students' lives in the pandemic: the labor market, education, and health. We document the differential responses of students as a function of their country of residence, parental income, gender, and for the US their race." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Kitov, Ivan (2021): The link between unemployment and real economic growth in developed countries. (MPRA paper / University Library of Munich 105873), München, 39 S.

Abstract

"Ten years ago we presented a modified version of Okun's law for the biggest developed economies and reported its excellent predictive power. In this study, we revisit the original models using the estimates of real GDP per capita and unemployment rate between 2010 and 2019. The initial results show that the change in unemployment rate can be accurately predicted by variations in the rate of real economic growth. There is a discrete version of the model which is represented by a piecewise linear dependence of the annual increment in unemployment rate on the annual rate of change in real GDP per capita. The lengths of the country-dependent time segments are defined by breaks in the GDP measurement units associated with definitional revisions to the nominal GDP and GDP deflator (dGDP). The difference between the CPI and dGDP indices since the beginning of measurements reveals the years of such breaks. Statistically, the link between the studied variables in the revised models is characterized by the coefficient of determination in the range from R2=0.866 (Australia) to R2=0.977 (France). The residual errors can be likely associated with the measurement errors, e.g. the estimates of real GDP per capita from various sources differ by tens of percent. The obtained results confirm the original finding on the absence of structural unemployment in the studied developed countries." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Kleifgen, Eva, Duncan Roth & Ignat Stepanok (2021): Exportbetriebe und die Folgen der Covid-19-Pandemie: Kriseneffekte unterscheiden sich nach Zielländern der Exporte. (IAB-Kurzbericht 10/2021), Nürnberg, 8 S.

Abstract

"In Deutschland hängt mehr als ein Viertel aller Arbeitsplätze vom Export ab und die Covid-19-Pandemie hat im Jahr 2020 zu einem beträchtlichen Rückgang des Exportvolumens geführt. Dennoch sind Exportbetriebe nach eigener Einschätzung im Durchschnitt nicht stärker von der Pandemie betroffen als nicht exportierende Betriebe. Allerdings gibt es in der Gruppe der Exporteure Unterschiede je nach Zielland ihrer Ausfuhren. Das zeigt eine aktuelle Betriebsbefragung des IAB zu den wirtschaftlichen Auswirkungen der Pandemie auf exportierende Betriebe." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Konle-Seidl, Regina (2021): Is this crisis different? The impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the economic and social situation of young people in Europe (Series "Tracking youth joblessness during the Covid-19 crisis"). In: IAB-Forum H. 22.12.2021, o. Sz., 2021-12-21.

Abstract

"Wirtschaftliche Einbrüche haben für junge Menschen auf dem Arbeitsmarkt allgemein schwerwiegendere Folgen als für andere Altersgruppen. Wie wirkt sich die Covid-19-Krise diesbezüglich im Vergleich mit der globalen Finanzkrise vor einem Jahrzehnt aus? Ein genauer Blick auch auf andere europäische Länder liefert hier interessante Einblicke." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Kpodar, Kangni R., Montfort Mlachila, Saad N. Quayyum & Vigninou Gammadigbe (2021): Defying the Odds: Remittances During the COVID-19 Pandemic. (IMF working paper 2021,186), Washington, DC, 35 S.

Abstract

"This paper provides an early assessment of the dynamics and drivers of remittances during the COVID-19 pandemic, using a newly compiled monthly remittance dataset for a sample of 52 countries, of which 16 countries with bilateral remittance data. The paper documents a strong resilience in remittance flows, notwithstanding an unprecedent global recession triggered by the pandemic. Using the local projection approach to estimate the impulse response functions of remittance flows during Jan 2020-Dec 2020, the paper provides evidence that: (i) remittances responded positively to COVID-19 infection rates in migrant home countries, underscoring its role as an important automatic stabilizer; (ii) stricter containment measures have the unintended consequence of dampening remittances; and (iii) a shift from informal to formal remittance channels due to travel restrictions appears to have also played a role in the surge in formal remittances. Lastly, the size of the fiscal stimulus in host countries is positively associated with remittances as the fiscal response cushions the economic impact of the pandemic." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Larsen, Christa, Jenny Kipper, Alfons Schmid & Ciprian Panzaru (Hrsg.) (2021): Transformations of Regional and Local Labour Markets Across Europe in Pandemic and Post-Pandemic Times. Challenges for Regional and Local Observatories. (Forschung und deren Anwendung im Bereich des regionalen und lokalen Arbeitsmarktmonitorings im transnationalen Vergleich (Veröffentlichungen des IWAK)), Baden-Baden: Nomos, 415 S. DOI:10.5771/9783957104007

Abstract

"The European Network on Regional Labour Market Monitoring publishes annual anthologies to gather perspectives from all over Europe and beyond on current topics related to regional and local labour markets. In the anthology of 2021, over 30 network members from ten countries reflect on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and state interventions or other measures in different localities and circumstances. They provide analyses on a variety of framework conditions of regional and local labour markets and their influence on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the authors shed light on state interventions and other measures from a comparative perspective. Discussions on the acceleration of social inequality, digitalisation and structural changes during the COVID-19 pandemic complement their multifaceted approaches. Overall, the authors provide information on data, as well as methodological and conceptual approaches that can be applied in regional and local labour market observatories to help regions and localities in their processes of digital, social and sustainable transition." (Publisher information, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Livanos, Ilias & Panagiotis Ravanos (2021): Job loss and COVID-19. Do remote work, automation and tasks at work matter? (CEDEFOP working paper series 2021,4), Thessaloniki, 41 S. DOI:10.2801/00455

Abstract

"The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to have adverse and non-uniform impacts on future employment prospects for different job positions in the EU. We investigate two possible determinants of the variation of future employment loss due to the pandemic: the potential of a job to be carried out ‘from home’ and the risk of being substituted by automation." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Major, Lee Elliot, Andrew Eyles & Stephen Machin (2021): Unequal learning and labour market losses in the crisis: consequences for social mobility. (CEP discussion paper 1748), London, 33 S.

Abstract

"The unequal learning and labour market losses arising in the UK due to the Covid-19 pandemic are used to assess the consequences for social mobility. Labour market and learning losses have been more pronounced for people from poorer families and this is incorporated into a generalisation of the standard, canonical social mobility model. A calibration shows a significantly higher intergenerational elasticity - reflecting lower social mobility - because of the uneven nature of losses by family income, and from dynamic scarring. Results from a randomised information experiment incorporated in a bespoke Social Mobility Survey corroborate this, as participants become more sceptical about the social mobility prospects of the Covid generation when given information about the losses that have occurred in the crisis." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Meinen, Philipp, Roberta Serafini & Ottavia Papagalli (2021): Regional economic impact of Covid-19: the role of sectoral structure and trade linkages. (European Central Bank. Working paper series 2528), Frankfurt am Main, 22 S.

Abstract

"The paper provides an ex-post analysis of the determinants of within-country regional heterogeneity of the labour market impact of COVID-19. By focussing on the first wave of the pandemic in the four largest euro area economies, it finds that the propagation of the economic impact across regions cannot be explained by the spread of infections only. Instead, a region's economic structure is a significant driver of the observed heterogeneity. Moreover, our results suggest that a region's trade relations, both within and across countries, represent a relevant indirect channel through which COVID-19 related disruptions affect regional economic activity. In this regard, the analysis depicts vulnerabilities arising from potential disruptions of the highly integrated EU supply chains." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Niehues, Judith & Maximilian Stockhausen (2021): Inequality revisited: An international comparison with a special focus on the case of Germany. (IW-Report / Institut der Deutschen Wirtschaft Köln 2021,18), Köln, 50 S.

Abstract

"While global extreme poverty and global income inequality have decreased over the last decades before the Corona pandemic, inequality within many industrialized countries has increased. In Germany, net income inequality has increased after the German reunification, but since 2005 there has merely been no change in the distribution of net incomes. A similar picture can be drawn for the development of net wealth, which is generally more unequally distributed than net income. Since the end of the financial crisis, the level of net wealth inequality hast remained almost unchanged. In the last decade, both income and wealth have remarkably increased on average across all income and wealth groups. This development was accompanied by a rising share of labour income reaching levels of the 1990s again. Unfortunately, the Corona pandemic has put a temporary end to the positive income development, and it is not clear so far, what the long-run consequences of the Corona pandemic will be. In the short-run, it is especially a threat to the very poor in developing countries and it is a large challenge in the fight against global extreme poverty." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Nieuwenhuis, Rense & Mara A. Yerkes (2021): Workers' well-being in the context of the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. In: Community, work & family, Jg. 24, H. 2, S. 226-235. DOI:10.1080/13668803.2021.1880049

Abstract

"In this Voices article, we use emerging evidence to reflect on the consequences of Covid-19 for various aspects of workers' wellbeing. This brief review emphasises how COVID-19 exacerbates existing, well-understood inequalities, along the intersections of community, work, and family. Workers on the periphery of the labour market, including non-standard workers and the self-employed, but also women and low-paid workers, are experiencing significant losses in relation to work, working hours and/or wages. Even once the pandemic is contained, its impact will continue to be felt by many communities, workers, and families for months and years to come." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Osuna, Victoria & José Ignacio García-Pérez (2021): Temporary layoffs, short-time work and COVID-19: the case of a dual labour market. (Working papers series / Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Department of Economics 2021.11), Sevilla, 23 S.

Abstract

"This paper examines the type of short-time work schemes implemented in Spain to preserve jobs and worker's incomes during the COVID-19 crisis. These policies have typically involved some degree of subsidization of payroll taxes for firms and also subsidies to workers. For this purpose, we simulate the impact of the COVID-19 crisis in 2020 on labor market outcomes. The steady-state results show that the availability of short-time work schemes and temporary layoffs does not necessarily prevent a large increase in unemployment and job destruction. The effects of these measures depend on the degree of subsidization of payroll taxes and on the design of the policy. The heavily subsidized short-time work schemes provide incentives to preserve workers on payroll working very few hours that would not have been employed in the benchmark situation, generating deadweight costs and inefficiencies. The transition exercise shows that a scenario with a moderate degree of subsidization of payroll taxes, and where the subsidy is independent of the reduction in hours worked, is the least harmful for both welfare and fiscal deficit. However, this is not the scenario that maximizes the number of jobs preserved. A more generous short-time work scheme, similar to the one implemented in the first year of the pandemic, accomplishes that goal instead. The drawbacks, though, are fiscal sustainability and deadweight costs. The winners and losers exercise shows that more than 50% of the workers are hit negatively in terms of average income and very few workers are better off after this shock: less than 3% in the scenarios which heavily subsidizes short-time work as a result of this generous work sharing strategy. The category that experiences the strongest distributional changes is the one composed of unemployed workers. In the heavily subsidized short-time work scenarios they are the ones who improve more in terms of the proportion of workers affected and also in terms of the average increase" (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Palomino, Juan C., Juan G. Rodríguez & Raquel Sebastian (2021): The COVID-19 shock on the labour market: Poverty and inequality effects across Spanish regions. (Documentos de trabajo / ICAE 2103), Madrid, 24 S.

Abstract

"We evaluate the distributional consequences of social distancing for the case of Spanish regions. Under 2 months of lockdown plus 10 months of partial functioning our study consistently finds potential wage losses that are sizeable and uneven across the wage distribution all around Spain, but with different intensity depending on the region's productive structure. The increase of the headcount poverty index oscillates between 8.2 (Navarre) and 19.2 (the Balearic Islands) percentage points, while the Gini coefficient rises between 2.3 (Navarre) and 5.3 (the Balearic Islands) Gini points. We also find that inequality between regions increases, eroding regional cohesion in Spain." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Paterson-Young, Claire (2021): Covid-19: emerging needs for unemployed and economically inactive individuals. In: Community, work & family, Jg. 24, H. 5, S. 507-511. DOI:10.1080/13668803.2021.1931032

Abstract

"This Voices article presents emerging findings from research investigating the consequences of Covid-19 on individuals engaged on employability programmes in the United Kingdom. It outlines the challenges presented by ‘lockdown’ restrictions, as introduced to reduce the spread of Covid-19, on the delivery of employability programmes. Individuals engaged on such programmes experience a wealth of needs that have been compounded by Covid-19, resulting in new, emerging needs relating to personal wellbeing, social isolation, and confidence. Without effective and innovative support, individuals experiencing unemployment and economic inactivity will undoubtedly experience increased inequality; this inequality impacts on family, with individuals experiencing isolation from such, which in turn reduces wellbeing and stimuli, and indeed work, with Covid-19 compounding challenges in securing employment." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Pigeron-Piroth, Isabelle, Ines Funk, Birte Nienaber, H. Peter Dörrenbächer & Rachid Belkacem (2021): Der grenzüberschreitende Arbeitsmarkt der Großregion. Der Einfluss der Covid-19-Pandemie. In: Informationen zur Raumentwicklung, Jg. 48, H. 2, S. 74-85.

Abstract

"Während der erste Welle der Pandemie im Frühjahr 2020 wurde die grenzüberschreitende Mobilität in der Großregion (Saarland, Lothringen, Luxemburg, Rheinland-Pfalz, Wallonien) massiv beschränkt. Seit Beginn der zweiten Welle der Pandemie im Herbst 2020 stehen die Grenzen erneut im Fokus der öffentlichen Debatte." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Profeta, Paola, Ximena Caló & Roberto Occhiuzzi (2021): COVID-19 and its economic impact on women and women's poverty. Insights from 5 European Countries : study, requested by the FEMM committe. Brüssel, 58 S. DOI:10.2861/895019

Abstract

"This in-depth, case-analytical overview, commissioned by the European Parliament’s Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs at the request of the FEMM Committee, examines the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on a representative sample of member states with the aim of alimenting policy recommendations for the COVID-19 recovery period to ensure that the gains of the past years in the matter of gender equality are not overridden by the short-term negative effects of the measures implemented to combat the COVID-19 sanitary crisis." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Riehm, Kira E., Calliope Holingue, Emily J. Smail, Arie Kapteyn, Daniel Bennett, Johannes Thrul, Frauke Kreuter, Emma E. McGinty, Luther G. Kalb, Cindy B. Veldhuis, Renee M. Johnson, M. Daniele Fallin & Elizabeth A. Stuart (2021): Trajectories of Mental Distress Among US Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic. In: Annals of behavioral medicine, Jg. 55, H. 2, S. 93-102., 2020-12-22. DOI:10.1093/abm/kaaa126

Abstract

"Cross-sectional studies have found that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has negatively affected population-level mental health. Longitudinal studies are necessary to examine trajectories of change in mental health over time and identify sociodemographic groups at risk for persistent distress. To examine the trajectories of mental distress between March 10 and August 4, 2020, a key period during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants included 6,901 adults from the nationally representative Understanding America Study, surveyed at baseline between March 10 and 31, 2020, with nine follow-up assessments between April 1 and August 4, 2020. Mixed-effects logistic regression was used to examine the association between date and self-reported mental distress (measured with the four-item Patient Health Questionnaire) among U.S. adults overall and among sociodemographic subgroups defined by sex, age, race/ethnicity, household structure, federal poverty line, and census region. Compared to March 11, the odds of mental distress among U.S. adults overall were 1.84 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.65–2.07) times higher on April 1 and 1.92 (95% CI = 1.62–2.28) times higher on May 1; by August 1, the odds of mental distress had returned to levels comparable to March 11 (odds ratio [OR] = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.66–0.96). Females experienced a sharper increase in mental distress between March and May compared to males (females: OR = 2.29, 95% CI = 1.85–2.82; males: OR = 1.53, 95% CI = 1.15–2.02). These findings highlight the trajectory of mental health symptoms during an unprecedented pandemic, including the identification of populations at risk for sustained mental distress." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Schiemann, Scott & Atsushi Narisada (2021): A less objectionable greed? Work-life conflict and unjust pay during a pandemic. In: Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, Jg. 71. DOI:10.1016/j.rssm.2020.100564

Zitatform

Sedik, Tahsin Saadi & Jiae Yoo (2021): Pandemics and Automation: Will the Lost Jobs Come Back? (IMF working paper 2021,11), Washington, DC, 26 S.

Abstract

"COVID-19 has exacerbated concerns about the rise of the robots and other automation technologies. This paper analyzes empirically the impact of past major pandemics on robot adoption and inequality. First, we find that pandemic events accelerate robot adoption, especially when the health impact is severe and is associated with a significant economic downturn. Second, while robots may raise productivity, they could also increase inequality by displacing low-skilled workers. We find that following a pandemic, the increase in inequality over the medium term is larger for economies with higher robot density and where new robot adoption has increased more. Our results suggest that the concerns about the rise of the robots amid the COVID-19 pandemic seem justified." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Sjögren, Anna, Mattias Mattias, Caroline Hall, Helena Holmlund, Martin Lundin, Hanna Mühlrad & Björn Öckert (2021): Swedish children and youth during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Working papers / Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy 2021,03), Bonn, 133 S.

Abstract

"Based on previous research, available statistics and current information on the COVID-19 pandemic, this report analyses and discusses possible consequences of the ongoing pandemic for Swedish children and youth, in the short and longer term. The pandemic is discussed in five chapters focusing on (1)the impact on childhood environment and human capital development,(2)the consequences for children's development and school performance due to increased absenteeism among children, students and teachers in preschools and schools, (3) the effects of distance education, (4)the impact on the demand for education, and (5)consequences for labour market entry and long run labour market outcomes. It is too early to draw firm conclusions about the long-term consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, and yet our overall conclusion is that the pandemic has negative consequences for many children and young adults. Children and youth from disadvantaged environments, with a weak socio-economic background and an inadequate social safety net, are more likely to be severely affected. There are therefore reasons to safeguard and develop the institutions, such as prenatal and child healthcare, social services and school health programs that provide services for children and youth. Moreover, the education system has an important task in compensating for shortcomings in human capital development and lost opportunities caused by the pandemic." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Soric, Petar & Oscar Claveria (2021): Employment uncertainty a year after the irruption of the covid-19 pandemic. (AQR working paper 2021,04), Barcelona, 24 S.

Abstract

"This paper examines the evolution of consumer uncertainty about unemployment one year after the irruption of the covid-19 pandemic in European countries. Since uncertainty is not directly observable, we use two alternative methods to directly approximate it. Both approaches are based on qualitative expectations elicited form the consumer survey conducted by the European Commission. On the one hand, following Dibiasi and Iselin (2019), we use the share of consumers unable to formalize expectations about unemployment (Knightian-type uncertainty). On the other hand, we use the geometric discrepancy indicator proposed by Claveria et al. (2019) to quantify the proportion of disagreement in business and consumer expectations. We have used information from 22 European countries. We find that both uncertainty measures covary. Although we observe marked differences across countries, in most cases the perception of employment uncertainty peaked before the outbreak of the crisis, plummeted during the first months of the lockdown, and started rising again since the past few months. When testing for cointegration with the unemployment rate, we find that the discrepancy indicator exhibits a long- term relationship with unemployment in most countries, while the Knightian uncertainty indicator shows a purely short-run relationship. The impact of both indicators on unemployment is characterised by considerable asymmetries, showing a more intense reaction to decreases in the level of uncertainty. While this finding may seem counterintuitive at first sight, it somehow reflects the fact that during recessive periods, the level of disagreement in the employment expectations of consumers drops considerably" (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Vanhercke, Bart, Slavina Spasova & Boris Fronteddu (Hrsg.) (2021): Social policy in the European Union: state of play 2020. Facing the pandemic. (Social policy in the European Union : state of play ... 21), Brüssel, 220 S.

Abstract

"Sweeping across Asia like the hordes of Genghis Khan, the Covid-19 virus struck Europe in the early weeks of 2020. With the pandemic tightening its grip on populations across the continent, wide-ranging restrictions were implemented by Member State governments, albeit initially with little coordination from Brussels. With this as background for this year’s Bilan social, the first chapters analyse the impact of the pandemic on various aspects of intense EU social policymaking throughout 2019 and the first half of 2020. These include the EU’s quite effective coordination of public health measures and its unprecedented economic and social support measures. On the downside, gender equality has taken a hit, further raising the necessity for ambitious EU initiatives in this area. Moving away from the direct effects of the pandemic, the book goes on to look at how the Green Deal is being implemented and whether it has sufficient clout to meet the EU’s CO2 targets without overly impacting employment. Perhaps a completely new approach is needed. In the same vein, the book analyses recent developments in the European Semester, looking at how the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and the European Pillar of Social Rights are moving up the Semester agenda, albeit not without difficulty. The final chapter looks at the difficulties involved in introducing a common framework for fair minimum wages through binding EU legislation. With less wiggle room available to social affairs players under the new EU Recovery and Resilience Facility and the European Semester at least temporarily put on the back burner, the conclusions discuss whether the ongoing ‘crisisification’ of European policymaking may, ultimately, pave the way for further European integration." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))