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The Learning Crisis in the United States Three Years After COVID-19

Author

Listed:
  • Patrinos, Harry Anthony

    (University of Arkansas, Fayetteville)

  • Jakubowski, Maciej

    (University of Warsaw)

  • Gajderowicz, Tomasz

    (University of Warsaw)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic caused widespread disruptions to education, with school closures affecting over one billion children. These closures, aimed at reducing virus transmission, resulted in significant learning losses, particularly in mathematics and science. Using United States data from TIMSS, this study analyzes the impact of school closure on learning outcomes. The losses amount to 0.36 SD for mathematics and 0.16 SD for science. The declines are similar across grades. The average decline in mathematics performance among U.S. students is substantially greater than the global average. n science, the decline observed among U.S. students does not significantly differ from the global trend. Girls experienced greater deviations from long-term trends than boys across both subjects and grade levels, reversing long term trends that once favored girls. Robustness checks confirm that pandemic-related school closures caused the decline in mathematics, while the downturn in science had already begun before COVID-19.

Suggested Citation

  • Patrinos, Harry Anthony & Jakubowski, Maciej & Gajderowicz, Tomasz, 2025. "The Learning Crisis in the United States Three Years After COVID-19," IZA Discussion Papers 17755, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17755
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Noam Angrist & Simeon Djankov & Pinelopi K. Goldberg & Harry A. Patrinos, 2021. "Measuring human capital using global learning data," Nature, Nature, vol. 592(7854), pages 403-408, April.
    2. Dan Goldhaber & Thomas J. Kane & Andrew McEachin & Emily Morton & Tyler Patterson & Douglas O. Staiger, 2023. "The Educational Consequences of Remote and Hybrid Instruction during the Pandemic," American Economic Review: Insights, American Economic Association, vol. 5(3), pages 377-392, September.
    3. Rebecca Jack & Emily Oster, 2023. "COVID-19, School Closures, and Outcomes," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 37(4), pages 51-70, Fall.
    4. 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, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Rebecca Jack & Clare Halloran & James Okun & Emily Oster, 2023. "Pandemic Schooling Mode and Student Test Scores: Evidence from US School Districts," American Economic Review: Insights, American Economic Association, vol. 5(2), pages 173-190, June.
    6. Jakubowski, Maciej & Gajderowicz, Tomasz & Patrinos, Harry Anthony, 2023. "Global learning loss in student achievement: First estimates using comparable reading scores," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 232(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    COVID-19; labor markets; returns to education; human capital; pandemics;
    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
    • J11 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Demographic Trends, Macroeconomic Effects, and Forecasts
    • J17 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Value of Life; Foregone Income
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials

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