IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/intlab/v161y2022i1p125-148.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Is this time really different? How the impact of the COVID‐19 crisis on labour markets contrasts with that of the global financial crisis of 2008–09

Author

Listed:
  • Sher VERICK
  • Dorothea SCHMIDT‐KLAU
  • Sangheon LEE

Abstract

The COVID‐19 pandemic resulted in a more severe labour market crisis in 2020 than that witnessed during the 2009 global financial crisis. As a consequence of lockdown measures, which have been the main cause of damage to labour markets, the deepest impacts in 2020 have been found in middle‐income economies, while certain sectors, such as accommodation and food services, and groups, especially young women, have proved to be particularly vulnerable. Contrary to adjustment processes during the global financial crisis, the COVID‐19 crisis has resulted in a greater rise in inactivity than in unemployment. Policy support needs to be maintained to avoid an unequal recovery.

Suggested Citation

  • Sher VERICK & Dorothea SCHMIDT‐KLAU & Sangheon LEE, 2022. "Is this time really different? How the impact of the COVID‐19 crisis on labour markets contrasts with that of the global financial crisis of 2008–09," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 161(1), pages 125-148, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:intlab:v:161:y:2022:i:1:p:125-148
    DOI: 10.1111/ilr.12230
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/ilr.12230
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/ilr.12230?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ms. Wenjie Chen & Mr. Mico Mrkaic & Mr. Malhar S Nabar, 2019. "The Global Economic Recovery 10 Years After the 2008 Financial Crisis," IMF Working Papers 2019/083, International Monetary Fund.
    2. Kahn, Lisa B., 2010. "The long-term labor market consequences of graduating from college in a bad economy," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 17(2), pages 303-316, April.
    3. Scott R. Baker & Nicholas Bloom & Steven J. Davis & Stephen J. Terry, 2020. "COVID-Induced Economic Uncertainty," NBER Working Papers 26983, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Anis Chowdhury & Piotr Żuk, 2018. "From crisis to crisis: Capitalism, chaos and constant unpredictability," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 29(4), pages 375-393, December.
    5. Lucyna Górnicka & Christophe Kamps & Gerrit Koester & Nadine Leiner-Killinger, 2020. "Learning about fiscal multipliers during the European sovereign debt crisis: evidence from a quasi-natural experiment," Economic Policy, CEPR, CESifo, Sciences Po;CES;MSH, vol. 35(101), pages 5-40.
    6. Hannes Schwandt & Till von Wachter, 2019. "Unlucky Cohorts: Estimating the Long-Term Effects of Entering the Labor Market in a Recession in Large Cross-Sectional Data Sets," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 37(S1), pages 161-198.
    7. Carmen M. Reinhart & Kenneth S. Rogoff, 2009. "The Aftermath of Financial Crises," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 99(2), pages 466-472, May.
    8. Verick, Sher, 2009. "Who Is Hit Hardest during a Financial Crisis? The Vulnerability of Young Men and Women to Unemployment in an Economic Downturn," IZA Discussion Papers 4359, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    9. House, Christopher L. & Proebsting, Christian & Tesar, Linda L., 2020. "Austerity in the aftermath of the great recession," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 37-63.
    10. Sandrine Cazes & Sher Verick & Fares Al Hussami, 2013. "Why did unemployment respond so differently to the global financial crisis across countries? Insights from Okun’s Law," IZA Journal of Labor Policy, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 2(1), pages 1-18, December.
    11. Anis Chowdhury & Iyanatul Islam, 2012. "The Debate on Expansionary Fiscal Consolidation: How Robust is the Evidence?," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 23(3), pages 13-38, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Mathilde Bouvier & François Roubaud & Mireille Razafindrakoto & Roberta Teixeira, 2022. "Labour market transitions in the time of Covid-19 in Brazil:a panel data analysis," Working Papers DT/2022/02, DIAL (Développement, Institutions et Mondialisation).
    2. Ortega, Ana M. & Tabares, Felipe A., 2023. "Psychological pricing: Myth or reality? The impact of nine-ending prices on purchasing attitudes and brand revenue," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    3. Kim, Won Joong & Ko, Juyoung & Kwon, Won Soon & Piao, Chunyan, 2025. "Time-varying sources of fluctuations in global inflation," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    4. Sher Singh Verick, 2023. "The Challenge of Youth Employment: New Findings and Approaches," The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, Springer;The Indian Society of Labour Economics (ISLE), vol. 66(2), pages 421-437, June.
    5. Anna Tokarz-Kocik & Anna Bera & Karolina Drela & Agnieszka Malkowska, 2023. "The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Labour Market in the Hotel Industry: Selected Conditions in Poland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-15, March.
    6. Paul-Francois Muzindutsi & Akita Sheodin & Joshua Moodley & Khmera Moodley & Mayuri Naidoo & Purusha Ramjiyavan & Rinay Moonsamy & Tiffany Atalia Pillay & Fikile Dube, 2022. "Contagion risk in Equity Markets during Financial Crises and COVID-19: A comparison of developed and emerging markets," Scientific Annals of Economics and Business (continues Analele Stiintifice), Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, vol. 69(4), pages 615-629, December.
    7. Katarina Kramarova & Lucia Svabova & Barbora Gabrikova, 2022. "Impacts of the Covid-19 crisis on unemployment in Slovakia: a statistically created counterfactual approach using the time series analysis," Equilibrium. Quarterly Journal of Economics and Economic Policy, Institute of Economic Research, vol. 17(2), pages 343-389, June.
    8. Athira, A. & Ramesh, Vishnu K., 2023. "COVID-19 and corporate tax avoidance: International evidence," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(4).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ronald Bachmann & Peggy Bechara & Anica Kramer & Sylvi Rzepka, 2015. "Labour market dynamics and worker heterogeneity during the Great Recession – Evidence from Europe," IZA Journal of European Labor Studies, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 4(1), pages 1-29, December.
    2. Choi, Eleanor Jawon & Choi, Jaewoo & Son, Hyelim, 2020. "The long-term effects of labor market entry in a recession: Evidence from the Asian financial crisis," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    3. Valerie A. Ramey, 2019. "Ten Years after the Financial Crisis: What Have We Learned from the Renaissance in Fiscal Research?," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 33(2), pages 89-114, Spring.
    4. repec:zbw:rwirep:0499 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Aksoy, Cevat Giray & Poutvaara, Panu & Schikora, Felicitas, 2023. "First time around: Local conditions and multi-dimensional integration of refugees," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    6. Chang Ma & John Rogers & Sili Zhou, 2023. "Modern Pandemics: Recession and Recovery," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 21(5), pages 2098-2130.
    7. Chiara Cavaglia & Sandra McNally, 2025. "Young people, human capital investment and the Great Recession," CVER Research Papers 042, Centre for Vocational Education Research.
    8. Kevin Rinz, 2022. "Did Timing Matter? Life Cycle Differences in Effects of Exposure to the Great Recession," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 40(3), pages 703-735.
    9. Richard Blundell & Hugo Lopez & James P. Ziliak, 2025. "Labor Market Inequality and the Changing Life Cycle Profile of Male and Female Wages," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 17(4), pages 100-133, October.
    10. Guo, Junjie, 2022. "The persistent impact of multiple offers," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    11. Samuel Bentolila & Florentino Felgueroso & Marcel Jansen & Juan F. Jimeno, 2022. "Lost in recessions: youth employment and earnings in Spain," SERIEs: Journal of the Spanish Economic Association, Springer;Spanish Economic Association, vol. 13(1), pages 11-49, May.
    12. Aucejo, Esteban M. & French, Jacob & Ugalde Araya, Maria Paola & Zafar, Basit, 2020. "The impact of COVID-19 on student experiences and expectations: Evidence from a survey," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
    13. Marie Bergström & Léonard Moulin, 2022. "Couple Formation is Prolonged not Postponed. New Paths to Union Formation in Contemporary France," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 38(5), pages 975-1008, December.
    14. Ulrike Malmendier & Leslie Sheng Shen, 2024. "Scarred Consumption," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 16(1), pages 322-355, January.
    15. Marios Michaelides & Peter Mueser & Jeffrey Smith, 2019. "Youth Unemployment and U.S. Job Search Assistance Policy during the Great Recession," University of Cyprus Working Papers in Economics 13-2019, University of Cyprus Department of Economics.
    16. Cotofan, Maria & Dur, Robert & Meier, Stephan, 2024. "Does growing up in economic hard times increase compassion? The case of attitudes towards immigration," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 218(C), pages 245-262.
    17. Mattias Engdahl & Mathilde Godard & Oskar Nordström Skans, 2024. "Early Labor Market Prospects and Family Formation," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 59(5), pages 1564-1598.
    18. Toman Barsbai & Andreas Steinmayr & Christoph Winter, 2022. "Immigrating into a Recession: Evidence from Family Migrants to the U.S," Working Papers 2022-01, Faculty of Economics and Statistics, Universität Innsbruck.
    19. Francesco Fasani & Tommaso Frattini & Luigi Minale, 2021. "Lift the Ban? Initial Employment Restrictions and Refugee Labour Market Outcomes," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 19(5), pages 2803-2854.
    20. Jaime Arellano-Bover & Carolina Bussotti & John M. Nunley & R. Alan Seals, 2025. "Unbundling the Effects of College on First-Job Search: Returns to Majors, Minors, and Extracurriculars," CESifo Working Paper Series 12188, CESifo.
    21. Ayako Kondo, 2024. "Scars of the job market “ice-age”," Social Science Japan Journal, University of Tokyo and Oxford University Press, vol. 27(2), pages 133-148.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:intlab:v:161:y:2022:i:1:p:125-148. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/ilounch.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.