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Heterogeneous Vulnerability to the COVID-19 Crisis and Implications for Inequality in Japan

Author

Listed:
  • Shinnosuke KIKUCHI
  • Sagiri KITAO
  • Minamo MIKOSHIBA

Abstract

We study how the COVID-19 crisis could affect earnings inequality across heterogeneous individuals in Japan. We use the Employment Status Survey (ESS) to identify groups of individuals who are more vulnerable to the COVID-19 shocks, which likely affect workers in different industries, occupations, and employment types in different magnitude. We assess the impact using various data and early evidence including expenditures data from the JCB Consumption NOW during the first weeks of the pandemic. Our study identifies significant heterogeneity in vulnerability to the COVID-19 shocks across workers of different types. We find that the crisis will hit low-income groups by more and is likely to significantly exacerbate inequality through multiple channels, calling for urgent and large-scale assistance targeted towards affected individuals.

Suggested Citation

  • Shinnosuke KIKUCHI & Sagiri KITAO & Minamo MIKOSHIBA, 2020. "Heterogeneous Vulnerability to the COVID-19 Crisis and Implications for Inequality in Japan," Discussion papers 20039, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    • Handle: RePEc:eti:dpaper:20039
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    File URL: https://www.rieti.go.jp/jp/publications/dp/20e039.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Titan Alon & Matthias Doepke & Jane Olmstead-Rumsey & Michèle Tertilt, 2020. "The Impact of COVID-19 on Gender Equality," CRC TR 224 Discussion Paper Series crctr224_2020_163, University of Bonn and University of Mannheim, Germany.
    2. Kitao, Sagiri & Mikoshiba, Minamo, 2020. "Females, the elderly, and also males: Demographic aging and macroeconomy in Japan," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 56(C).
    3. repec:upd:utmpwp:020 is not listed on IDEAS
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    Cited by:

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    2. Shinnosuke Kikuchi & Sagiri Kitao & Minamo Mikoshiba, 2020. "Who Suffers from the COVID-19 Shocks? Labor Market Heterogeneity and Welfare Consequences in Japan (Forthcoming in the Journal of the Japanese and the International Economies)," CARF F-Series CARF-F-490, Center for Advanced Research in Finance, Faculty of Economics, The University of Tokyo.
    3. Gul Ekinci, 2021. "Covidomics & covidocial impacts:The relation between consumers’ fear of Covid-19, panic spending and saving behavior," International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science (2147-4478), Center for the Strategic Studies in Business and Finance, vol. 10(3), pages 01-23, April.
    4. Kikuchi, Shinnosuke & Kitao, Sagiri & Mikoshiba, Minamo, 2021. "Who suffers from the COVID-19 shocks? Labor market heterogeneity and welfare consequences in Japan," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    5. Hoshi, Kisho & Kasahara, Hiroyuki & Makioka, Ryo & Suzuki, Michio & Tanaka, Satoshi, 2022. "The heterogeneous effects of COVID-19 on labor markets: People’s movement and non-pharmaceutical interventions," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    6. Olive Umuhire Nsababera & Vibhuti Mendiratta & Hannah Sam, 2023. "The Impact of COVID-19 on Household Welfare in the Comoros: The Experience of a Small Island Developing State," Global Perspectives on Wealth and Distribution, in: Shirley Johnson-Lans (ed.), The Coronavirus Pandemic and Inequality, chapter 0, pages 141-195, Palgrave Macmillan.
    7. Valeria Borsellino & Sina Ahmadi Kaliji & Emanuele Schimmenti, 2020. "COVID-19 Drives Consumer Behaviour and Agro-Food Markets towards Healthier and More Sustainable Patterns," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-26, October.
    8. Wataru Hirata & Toshitaka Maruyama & Tomohide Mineyama, 2020. "Flattening of the Wage Phillips Curve and Downward Nominal Wage Rigidity: The Japanese Experience in the 2010s," Bank of Japan Working Paper Series 20-E-4, Bank of Japan.
    9. Delgado Narro, Ausugto Ricardo & Katafuchi, Yuya, 2020. "COVID-19, state of emergency, and housing market," MPRA Paper 102456, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Toshiyuki MATSUURA & Hisamitsu SAITO, 2021. "Designing a Tourism Stimulus During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan," Discussion papers 21012, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    11. Michihito Ando & Chishio Furukawa & Daigo Nakata & Kazuhiko Sumiya, 2020. "Fiscal Responses to the COVID-19 Crisis in Japan: The First Six Months," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 73(3), pages 901-926, September.

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