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US employment inequality in the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic

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  • Steven M. Fazzari, Ella Needler

    (Washington University)

Abstract

This article compares inequality in employment across demographic groups in the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic. We develop a measure to capture both how much employment declines during a recession and the persistence of employment losses. Results show a significant shift of job loss from men in the Great Recession to women in the COVID-19 lockdown. White workers fare better than other racial/ethnic groups in both recessions. Black and Hispanic women are hit especially hard in the COVID-19 pandemic. With our job-loss measure, less-educated workers had modestly worse outcomes in the Great Recession. However, during COVID-19, less-educated workers suffer much more severe employment consequences than more-educated groups. We discuss long-term effects of employment inequality and how these findings are relevant to debates about policy responses.

Suggested Citation

  • Steven M. Fazzari, Ella Needler, 2021. "US employment inequality in the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic," European Journal of Economics and Economic Policies: Intervention, Edward Elgar Publishing, vol. 18(2), pages 223–239-2, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:elg:ejeepi:v:18:y:2021:i:2:p223-239
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    Cited by:

    1. Baier-Fuentes, Hugo & Andrade-Valbuena, Nelson A. & Huertas Gonzalez-Serrano, Maria & Gaviria-Marin, Magaly, 2023. "Bricolage as an effective tool for the survival of owner-managed SMEs during crises," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    2. Leonardo Carnut & Lucas Uback & Áquilas Mendes, 2023. "Has the COVID-19 Pandemic Cooled Down or Stimulated the Countertendencies of Capital? A Critical Review," Economies, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-17, May.
    3. Christian Zimpelmann & Hans-Martin von Gaudecker & Radost Holler & Lena Janys & Bettina Siflinger, 2021. "Drivers of Working Hours and Household Income Dynamics during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Case of the Netherlands," ECONtribute Discussion Papers Series 093, University of Bonn and University of Cologne, Germany.
    4. Nelli, Linnea & Virgillito, Maria Enrica, 2023. "More than a She-recession: Long-term feminization and short-term pandemic effects," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1291, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    5. Zimpelmann, Christian & Gaudecker, Hans-Martin von & Holler, Radost & Janys, Lena & Siflinger, Bettina, 2021. "Hours and income dynamics during the Covid-19 pandemic: The case of the Netherlands," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    employment; unemployment; inequality; Great Recession; COVID-19;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure

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