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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))

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Weber, Enzo & Roman Neupert (2021): European labour market dynamics after the outbreak of the Covid-19 crisis (Series "COVID-19 Crisis: Consequences for the Labour Market"). In: IAB-Forum H. 16.04.2021, o. Sz., 2021-04-15.

Abstract

"In the Covid-19 crisis, governments around the world are struggling to secure jobs and businesses. Short-time work and comprehensive liquidity support benefit companies, which have so far relied more on these measures than on layoffs. However, the uncertain economic outlook deters many firms from hiring new staff. Also, the number of potential workers is declining throughout Europe, as many are withdrawing from the labour market. In order to analyse the mechanisms behind these dropping employment figures, this article gives an outline of developments in labour market flow statistics in Europe after the outbreak of the Covid-19 crisis." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Winters, John V. (2021): Young and Hungry? Employment Levels for Young People During Spring 2021. (IZA discussion paper 14508), Bonn, 8 S.

Abstract

"This article examines employment rates for persons in their teens and early 20s during April and May 2021 compared to April and May 2019. Employment rates for teens are significantly higher in Spring 2021 than in Spring 2019. However, individuals ages 20-24 experienced significantly lower employment rates in Spring 2021 than in Spring 2019. Differing employment patterns for these two age groups are unlikely to reflect childcare issues or lingering COVID-19 concerns. Restaurant employment rates suggest that weak labor demand is likely not the predominant factor. One plausible explanation is that teenagers are less influenced by generous unemployment insurance benefits." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Wolter, Stefan C. (2021): Eine Ausbildungskrise, die (noch) keine war - Schweizer Erfahrungen in der COVID-19-Krise. In: Berufsbildung in Wissenschaft und Praxis, Jg. 50, H. 2, S. 15-19.

Abstract

"Entgegen den Erwartungen, die man basierend auf den Erfahrungen aus früheren Rezessionen bilden musste, hat der Lehrstellenmarkt in der Schweiz die durch die COVID-19-Pandemie ausgelöste Rezession bislang unbeschadet überstanden. Die Vielfalt der Maßnahmen, die dafür direkt oder indirekt verantwortlich sein könnten, verunmöglicht allerdings ein Urteil darüber, welche Maßnahme nützte und welche nicht. Die überraschend gut überstandene Krise ist aber keine Garantie, dass ein weiterer Stresstest 2021 ebenfalls glimpflich abläuft, wenn man die hohe Verunsicherung der Betriebe im Herbst 2020 als Maßstab für die weitere Entwicklung des Lehrstellenmarkts nimmt." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

Abstract

"The European Grouping of Societies of Authors and Composers (GESAC) commissioned EY teams to produce a report on the state of the cultural and creative industries (CCIs) in Europe. What was their economic situation before the COVID-19 crisis? What impact has the crisis had on activity and employment? And what are the main priorities for the sector to protect itself from the most serious consequences, to recover growth and enhance its value in the European economy? This study follows a report of the same type, entitled Creating Growth, published in December 2014.GESAC has brought together numerous partners representing the CCIs, in order to reflect the diversity and collective strength of this economy." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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(2021): World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2021. (World employment and social outlook. Trends), Genf, 161 S.

Abstract

"In addition to being a health crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic is also an employment crisis. Lockdowns and other measures adopted to curb the spread of the coronavirus have disrupted labour markets worldwide, leaving few workers unaffected. This report details the effects of the crisis on the world of work, examining global and regional trends in employment, unemployment, labour force participation and productivity, alongside such dimensions of job quality as employment status, informal employment and working poverty. It also offers an extensive analysis of the differential impact of the crisis on enterprises and workers. The report provides forecasts of the post-pandemic employment recovery, which though predicted to be strong, will nonetheless be insufficient to close the gaps opened up by the crisis. Workers whose labour market situation was most disadvantageous before the crisis – women, young people, migrants, informal workers and those in lower-skilled occupations – have suffered disproportionately from the fallout of the crisis. In view of these pressing challenges, the report proposes a human-centred recovery strategy to prevent the “scarring” of global labour markets for years to come." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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(2021): Taxing Wages 2021. Special Feature: Impact of Covid-19 on the Tax Wedge In OECD Countries. (Taxing wages / OECD 2021), Paris, 648 S. DOI:10.1787/83a87978-en

Abstract

"This annual publication provides details of taxes paid on wages in OECD countries. It covers personal income taxes and social security contributions paid by employees, social security contributions and payroll taxes paid by employers, and cash benefits received by workers. It illustrates how these taxes and benefits are calculated in each member country and examines how they impact household incomes. The results also enable quantitative cross-country comparisons of labour cost levels and the overall tax and benefit position of single persons and families on different levels of earnings. The publication shows average and marginal effective tax rates on labour costs for eight different household types, which vary by income level and household composition (single persons, single parents, one or two earner couples with or without children). The average tax rates measure the part of gross wage earnings or labour costs taken in tax and social security contributions, both before and after cash benefits, and the marginal tax rates the part of a small increase of gross earnings or labour costs that is paid in these levies. Taxing Wages 2021 includes a special feature entitled: “Impact of COVID-19 on the Tax Wedge in OECD Countries”." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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(2021): OECD Economic Outlook, May 2021. Volume 2021 Issue 1 : Preliminary version. (OECD economic outlook 109), Paris, 218 S. DOI:10.1787/edfbca02-en

Abstract

"The COVID-19 pandemic continues to cast a long shadow over the world’s economies. The OECD Economic Outlook, Volume 2021 Issue 1, highlights the improved prospects for the global economy due to vaccinations and stronger policy support, but also points to uneven progress across countries and key risks and challenges in maintaining and strengthening the recovery. This issue includes a general assessment of the macroeconomic situation, and a chapter summarising developments and providing projections for each individual country. Coverage is provided for all OECD members as well as for selected partner economies." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Abstract

"The latest analysis of the labour market impact of COVID-19 by the ILO, records massive damage to working time and income, with prospects for a recovery in 2021 slow, uneven and uncertain unless early improvements are supported by human-centred recovery policies." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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(2021): Quarterly Review of Employment and Social Developments in Europe (ESDE) - March 2021. (Employment and social developments in Europe : Quarterly review), Luxembourg, 27 S.

Abstract

"Selbstständige sind durch eine starke Verkürzung ihrer Arbeitszeit und schwerwiegendere Einkommensverluste EU-weit besonders stark von den Auswirkungen der COVID-19-Pandemie betroffen. Das zeigt ein Quartalsbericht zu Beschäftigung und sozialen Entwicklungen in Europa (ESDE) mit einem thematischen Schwerpunkt auf die Auswirkungen der COVID-19-Pandemie auf Selbstständige. Die nationalen Sozialschutzsysteme bieten in der Regel eine geringere Absicherung und Entschädigung für Selbstständige. Insgesamt zeigt der Bericht, dass sich die Maßnahmen zum Schutz von Arbeitsplätzen als wirksam erwiesen und die Widerstandsfähigkeit des Arbeitsmarktes verbessert haben. In den letzten Monaten des Jahres 2020 stieg die Zahl der Erwerbstätigen moderat an und die Arbeitslosigkeit blieb stabil." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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(2021): OECD Employment Outlook 2021. Navigating the COVID-19 Crisis and Recovery. (OECD employment outlook), Paris, 400 S. DOI:10.1787/5a700c4b-en

Abstract

"The 2021 edition of the OECD Employment Outlook focusses on the labour market implications of the COVID‑19 crisis. Chapters 1-3 concentrate on the main labour market and social challenges brought about by the crisis and the policies to address them. Chapters 4-5 cover long-standing structural issues but also discuss their relevance and implications for the COVID-19 crisis. More specifically, Chapter 1 monitors the impact of the crisis on the labour market, with a particular focus on vulnerable groups in the medium and long term. Chapter 2 provides a preliminary assessment of the role of job retention schemes in preserving jobs during the COVID-19 crisis. Chapter 3 analyses how active labour market policies and public employment services have responded to the challenges posed by the crisis. Chapter 4 assesses the extent and consequences of domestic outsourcing for the labour market in general, and for low-wage occupations in particular. Chapter 5 provides a detailed review of statutory and negotiated regulations governing working time – including teleworking – as well as an overview of trends in working time patterns and time use across OECD countries and socio-demographic groups." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Aaronson, Daniel, Scott A. Brave, R. Andrew Butters, Daniel W. Sacks & Boyoung Seo (2020): Using the eye of the storm to predict the wave of Covid-19 UI claims. In: Covid economics H. 9, S. 59-76.

Abstract

"We leverage an event-study research design focused on the seven costliest hurricanes to hit the US mainland since 2004 to identify the elasticity of unemployment insurance filings with respect to search intensity. Applying our elasticity estimate to the state-level Google Trends indexes for the topic "unemployment," we show that out-of-sample forecasts made ahead of the official data releases for March 21 and 28 predicted to a large degree the extent of the Covid-19 related surge in the demand for unemployment insurance. In addition, we provide a robust assessment of the uncertainty surrounding these estimates and demonstrate their use within a broader forecasting framework for US economic activity." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Adams-Prassl, Abi, Teodora Boneva, Marta Golin & Christopher Rauh (2020): Inequality in the Impact of the Coronavirus Shock. Evidence from Real Time Surveys. (IZA discussion paper 13183), Bonn, 49 S.

Abstract

"We present real time survey evidence from the UK, US and Germany showing that the labor market impacts of COVID-19 differ considerably across countries. Employees in Germany, which has a well-established short-time work scheme, are substantially less likely to be affected by the crisis. Within countries, the impacts are highly unequal and exacerbate existing inequalities. Workers in alternative work arrangements and in occupations in which only a small share of tasks can be done from home are more likely to have reduced their hours, lost their jobs and suffered falls in earnings. Less educated workers and women are more affected by the crisis." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Ahrendt, Daphne & Massimiliano Mascherini (2020): Living, working and COVID-19. (Eurofound. First findings), Dublin, 10 S.

Abstract

"In the space of just a few weeks, the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus has radically transformed the lives of people around the globe. Apart from the devastating health consequences on people directly affected by the virus, the COVID-19 pandemic has had major implications for the way people live and work, affecting their physical and mental well-being in a profound way. To capture the immediate economic and social effects of this crisis, Eurofound launched a large-scale online survey across the European Union and beyond on 9 April. Entitled Living, working and COVID-19, the aim of the survey is to investigate the impact on well-being, work and telework and on the financial situation of people living in Europe. It includes a range of questions relevant to people across various age groups and life situations. Most of the questions are based on Eurofound’s European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS) and European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS), while other questions are new or were adapted from other sources, such as the EU Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC)." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Andrew, Alison, Sarah Cattan, Monica Costa Dias, Christine Farquharson, Lucy Kraftman, Sonya Krutikova, Angus Phimister & Almudena Sevilla (2020): How are mothers and fathers balancing work and family under lockdown? (IFS briefing notes 290), London, 30 S.

Abstract

"The COVID-19 crisis has caused drastic changes to most parents’ work lives and other responsibilities. Millions of adults have lost or are forecast to lose their jobs permanently; many more have stopped work temporarily. Others are newly working from home, while many key workers are experiencing additional pressures and risks in their work. For most parents, school and childcare closures have meant that children are at home, and requiring care, for at least an extra six hours a day. In this report, we examine new data collected since the end of April to investigate how this crisis has affected mothers and fathers in two-parent opposite-gender families. Our survey allows up-to-date insights into the labour market shocks that parents have faced and how parents are balancing their responsibilities under lockdown. In this piece, we focus on how parents divide their time between childcare, housework and paid work, how these arrangements are changing with the lockdown, and the extent to which they vary between men and women." (Text excerpt, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Angelini, Elena, Matthieu Darracq-Pariès, Srečko Zimic & Milan Damjanović (2020): ECB-BASIR: a primer on the macroeconomic implications of the Covid-19 pandemic. (European Central Bank. Working paper series 2431), Frankfurt am Main, 38 S. DOI:10.2866/14144

Abstract

"This paper studies the macroeconomic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and makes a first step in adapting the central bank modelling apparatus to the new economic landscape. We augment the ECB-BASE model with the predictive dynamics of the SIR model in order to assess the interplay between epidemiological fundamentals, containment policies and the macroeconomy. Containment policies considerably reduce the share of infected and deceased people, but generate a sharp decline in economic activity. Barring the materialization of amplification risks, the induced recession may remain broadly V-shaped under targeted confinement policies. By comparison, a "Laissez-faire" approach to the pandemic emergency can even inflict in some cases higher long-term economic costs. Nevertheless, the depth of the recession and the speed of the recovery (if at all) crucially depend on the magnitude and persistence of the supply-side retrenchment, as well as on the risk of macro-financial feedback loops." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Azmat, Ghazala, Lena Hensvik & Olof Rosenqvist (2020): Presenteeism at work and gender inequality. In: VOX H. 04.10.2020, o. Sz.

Abstract

"The recent COVID-19 public health crisis has – at least temporarily – changed the organisation of work and the requirement for presenteeism in the workplace. Using data from Sweden, this column argues that such change could help close the gender earnings gap by lowering the wage penalties to unpredictable work absence." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Baert, Stijn, Louis Lippens, Eline Moens, Philippe Sterkens & Johannes Weytjens (2020): How Do We Think the COVID-19 Crisis Will Affect Our Careers (If Any Remain)? (IZA discussion paper 13164), Bonn, 29 S.

Abstract

"This study is the first in the world to investigate the expected impact of the COVID-19 crisis on career outcomes and career aspirations. To this end, high-quality survey research with a relevant panel of Belgian employees was conducted. About 21% of them fear losing their jobs due to the crisis—14% are concerned that they will even lose their jobs in the near future. In addition, 26% expect to miss out on promotions that they would have received had the COVID-19 crisis not occurred. This fear of a negative impact is higher in vulnerable groups, such migrants. In addition, we observe that many panel members believe they will look at the labour market differently and will have different work-related priorities in the future. In this respect, more than half of the panel members indicate that they have attached more importance to working conditions and work-life balance since the COVID- 19 crisis." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Bairoliya, Neha & Ayse Imrohoroglu (2020): Macroeconomic consequences of stay-at-home policies during the COVID-19 pandemic. In: Covid economics H. 13, S. 71-90.

Abstract

"Older adults and those with underlying medical conditions seem especially vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. government’s efforts to contain the infection, on the other hand, have a disproportionate impact on the working age population. To be able to capture the impact of the pandemic and the resulting mitigation efforts on a population that is heterogeneous by age, income and health status, we use an overlapping generations model that mimics the U.S. economy along those dimensions in 2020. We introduce an unexpected COVID-19 shock in the economy and examine the resulting impact on aggregate output, labor supply, savings, and consumption behavior of the different agents. We find that mitigation efforts that target certain age and health groups result in significantly smaller disruptions in the economy. Going forward, introducing subsidies to those with underlying health conditions and/or the elderly to self isolate might prove to be a useful path in opening up the economy." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Baker, Marissa G., Trevor K. Peckham & Noah S. Seixas (2020): Estimating the burden of United States workers exposed to infection or disease. A key factor in containing risk of COVID-19 infection. In: PLoS ONE, Jg. 15, H. 4. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0232452

Abstract

"Introduction: With the global spread of COVID-19, there is a compelling public health interest in quantifying who is at increased risk of contracting disease. Occupational characteristics, such as interfacing with the public and being in close quarters with other workers, not only put workers at high risk for disease, but also make them a nexus of disease transmission to the community. This can further be exacerbated through presenteeism, the term used to describe the act of coming to work despite being symptomatic for disease. Quantifying the number of workers who are frequently exposed to infection and disease in the workplace, and understanding which occupational groups they represent, can help to prompt public health risk response and management for COVID-19 in the workplace, and subsequent infectious disease outbreaks. Methods: To estimate the number of United States workers frequently exposed to infection and disease in the workplace, national employment data (by Standard Occupational Classification) maintained by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) was merged with a BLS O*NET survey measure reporting how frequently workers in each occupation are exposed to infection or disease at work. This allowed us to estimate the number of United States workers, across all occupations, exposed to disease or infection at work more than once a month. Results: Based on our analyses, approximately 10% (14.4 M) of United States workers are employed in occupations where exposure to disease or infection occurs at least once per week. Approximately 18.4% (26.7 M) of all United States workers are employed in occupations where exposure to disease or infection occurs at least once per month. While the majority of exposed workers are employed in healthcare sectors, other occupational sectors also have high proportions of exposed workers. These include protective service occupations (e.g. police officers, correctional officers, firefighters), office and administrative support occupations (e.g. couriers and messengers, patient service representatives), education occupations (e.g. preschool and daycare teachers), community and social services occupations (community health workers, social workers, counselors), and even construction and extraction occupations (e.g. plumbers, septic tank installers, elevator repair). Conclusions: The large number of persons employed in occupations with frequent exposure to infection and disease underscore the importance of all workplaces developing risk response plans for COVID-19. Given the proportion of the United States workforce exposed to disease or infection at work, this analysis also serves as an important reminder that the workplace is a key locus for public health interventions, which could protect both workers and the communities they serve." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))