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School Closures during the 1918 Flu Pandemic

Author

Listed:
  • Philipp Ager

    (University of Mannheim and CEPR)

  • Katherine Eriksson

    (University of California, Davis, University of Stellenbosch, CEPR, and NBER)

  • Ezra Karger

    (Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago)

  • Peter Nencka

    (Miami University)

  • Melissa A. Thomasson

    (Miami University and NBER)

Abstract

During the 1918–1919 influenza pandemic, many local authorities made the controversial decision to close schools. We use newly digitized data from newspaper archives on the length of school closures for 165 large U.S. cities during the 1918–1919 flu pandemic to assess the long-run consequences of closing schools on children. We find that the closures had no detectable impact on children's school attendance in 1920, nor on their educational attainment and adult labor market outcomes in 1940. We highlight important differences between the 1918–1919 and COVID-19 pandemics and caution against extrapolating from our null effects to modern-day settings.

Suggested Citation

  • Philipp Ager & Katherine Eriksson & Ezra Karger & Peter Nencka & Melissa A. Thomasson, 2024. "School Closures during the 1918 Flu Pandemic," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 106(1), pages 266-276, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:tpr:restat:v:106:y:2024:i:1:p:266-276
    DOI: 10.1162/rest_a_01170
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    Cited by:

    1. Gajderowicz, Tomasz & Jakubowski, Maciej & Kennedy, Alec & Christrup, Christian & Patrinos, Harry Anthony & Strietholt, Rolf, 2024. "The Learning Crisis: Three Years After COVID-19," IZA Discussion Papers 17550, IZA Network @ LISER.
    2. Qi, Xinghua, 2023. "The Role of Social Contact in the Infectious Disease Spreading : Evidence from the 1918 Influenza in Sweden," Warwick-Monash Economics Student Papers 49, Warwick Monash Economics Student Papers.
    3. Oikawa, Masato & Tanaka, Ryuichi & Bessho, Shun-ichiro & Kawamura, Akira & Noguchi, Haruko, 2025. "Do class closures affect students’ achievements? Heterogeneous effects of students’ socioeconomic backgrounds," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    4. Dan Goldhaber & Scott A. Imberman & Katharine O. Strunk & Bryant G. Hopkins & Nate Brown & Erica Harbatkin & Tara Kilbride, 2022. "To What Extent Does In‐Person Schooling Contribute To The Spread Of Covid‐19? Evidence From Michigan And Washington," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 41(1), pages 318-349, January.
    5. Lee Elliot Major & Andrew Eyles & Stephen Machin, 2021. "Unequal Learning and Labour Market Losses in the Crisis: Consequences for Social Mobility," CEPEO Working Paper Series 21-02, UCL Centre for Education Policy and Equalising Opportunities, revised Mar 2021.
    6. Winfree, Paul, 2023. "The long-run effects of temporarily closing schools: Evidence from Virginia, 1870s-1910s," QUCEH Working Paper Series 23-02, Queen's University Belfast, Queen's University Centre for Economic History.
    7. Kamila Cygan-Rehm, 2022. "Lifetime Consequences of Lost Instructional Time in the Classroom: Evidence from Shortened School Years," CESifo Working Paper Series 9892, CESifo.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • N32 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - U.S.; Canada: 1913-
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • I26 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Returns to Education

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