The impact of Covid-19 restrictions on workers: Who is most exposed? (original) (raw)
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Covid-19, occupational social distancing and remote working potential in Ireland
RePEc: Research Papers in Economics, 2020
The Covid-19 pandemic has had a sudden and drastic impact on labour supply and output In Ireland. As the Irish government responds, a key question is how covid-19 will impact people and places differently. There is considerable uncertainty around the implications of social distancing measures and remote working for the Irish labour market. The objective of this paper is to get a better understanding of the social distancing and remote working potential at an occupational, sector and regional level in Ireland. We generate two indices which capture the potential impact of Covid-19 through identifying (i) the occupations which may have the most potential to engage in social distancing procedures and (ii) the occupations which may have the most scope for remote working. This is accomplished using occupational level data from O*NET which provides very detailed information of the tasks performed by individuals with their occupations. The paper identifies that social distancing and remote working potential differs considerably across occupations, sectors and places. Examples of large employment which have relatively high indices are teaching occupations at secondary and third level and programme and software developers. While occupations which have large employment but which possess relative low indices are nurses and midwives and care workers. The potential for social distancing and remote work favours occupations located in the Greater Dublin region and provincial city regions. At a town level-more affluent, more densely and highly populated, better educated and better broadband provisioned towns have more jobs with greater potential for social distancing and remote working.
Occupation and working outcomes during the Coronavirus Pandemic
European Journal of Ageing
Using data from the first wave of the SHARE COVID-19 Survey and additional information collected from the previous waves of SHARE (Survey of Health Ageing and Retirement in Europe), we explore the effects of job characteristics on two outcomes: (i) the probability of work interruptions and (ii) the length of such interruptions during the first phase of the Coronavirus Pandemic. In order to assess the relationship between job features and labour market outcomes, we define two indexes proxying the pre-COVID-19 technical remote work feasibility as well as the level of social interaction with other people while working. Moreover, we use an indicator that classifies ISCO-08 3-digit job titles based on the essential nature of the good or service provided. We find that job characteristics have been major determinants of the probability of undergoing work interruptions and their duration. In addition, we show that women have been negatively affected by the Pandemic to a much larger extent t...
Who is Most Vulnerable? Exploring Job Vulnerability, Social Distancing and Demand During COVID-19
The Irish Journal of Management, 2022
COVID-19 has resulted in global lockdowns, social distancing and demand fluctuations. Existing crisis management research often provides a retrospective account of strategy making after a crisis. Limited studies have explored the factors which aid policy responses during an ongoing crisis. This research helps fill this gap by exploring the influence Covid-19 had on job vulnerability during the first wave of the COVID-19 crisis (spring and summer of 2020). We explore Northern Ireland (NI) which historically has experienced disadvantages. We utilise point-in-time modelling which considers contextual variations. The findings reveal that a reduction in social distancing reduces the vulnerability of over 30,000 jobs, however, ongoing uncertainties regarding demand will have a more significant longer-term impact on job vulnerabilities. We identify how COVID-19 may impact sectors, groups and geographies differently. We provide policy recommendations on how to alleviate the impact COVID-19 ...
SHARE Working Paper Series 60-2021: Occupation and working outcomes during the Coronavirus Pandemic
2021
Using data from the recent SHARE Corona Survey and additional information collected in the previous waves of SHARE, we explore the effects of occupation's characteristics on two outcomes: (i) the probability of work interruptions during the pandemic, coupled with the length of such interruptions and (ii) the probability of switching to homeworking during the lockdown. In order to assess how job features affected the likelihood of having experienced work interruptions or shifted to teleworking, we define six occupation categories by classifying the ISCO job titles according to two criteria: the safety level of the occupation and the essential (unessential) nature of the good or service provided. We find that characteristics of the occupation are major determinants of the probability of experiencing work interruptions and determine the length of such interruptions. Working from home also largely depends on the features of the job, even controlling for many other covariates at the individual level. In addition, we show that labour market outcomes of women, selfemployed and less educated workers are negatively affected by the pandemic to a much larger extent than men.
Working After Covid-19: Cross-Country Evidence from Real-Time Survey Data
2020
This paper uses real time survey data from two waves launched at the end of March and in mid-April to provide a snapshot of the labor market outcomes in twelve countries, after that many restraining measures had been implemented. The main aim is to analyze the short-term effects on the labor market of the different social distancing measures adopted in these countries. Survey data from the project REPEAT (REpresentations, PErceptions and ATtitudes on the COVID-19) allows a comparison of these labor market responses, which may differ across countries, since countries were at different stages of the diffusion of the coronavirus and thus featured different public health measures at the time of the survey. In most countries, the first wave of the survey was launched from few days (Austria, UK) to three weeks (Italy) after the (regional, in the case of the US) lockdown – with the exception of Germany, where the lockdown was implemented immediately after.
Political Anthropological Research on International Social Sciences, 2020
The lockdowns imposed by most governments during the Covid-19 pandemic have resulted in an unprecedented increase in teleworking. This spike in remote work has generally been greeted with enthusiasm by both academic and non-academic commentators and there is now a widely shared view that employers should be encouraged to retain and enhance the teleworking arrangements in the post-pandemic period. This paper examines the spread and normalization of telework during the pandemic with reference to the growth of the 24/7 work culture and the blurring of boundaries between work and private lives that have been developing in the last two decades or so. It is argued that the rise in remote work during the crisis is contributing to the movement towards 24/7 work and to the collapse of the boundary between professional and private life, particularly as a result of remote employee surveillance that comes with telework. It also results in a new form of alienation – the alienation of workers fro...
COVID-19 and Remote Work: An Early Look at US Data
MIT's COUHES ruled this project exempt (project number E-2075). Code & Data: https:// github.com/johnjosephhorton/remote_work/. Thanks to Sam Lord for helpful comments. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Bureau of Economic Research. At least one co-author has disclosed a financial relationship of potential relevance for this research. Further information is available online at http://www.nber.org/papers/w27344.ack NBER working papers are circulated for discussion and comment purposes. They have not been peer-reviewed or been subject to the review by the NBER Board of Directors that accompanies official NBER publications.
Workforce impacts of Covid-19 in the UK
2020
The coronavirus pandemic has had significant impacts on the UK workforce. In the general population, people's work and employment has changed because of Covid-19, and this has affected their mental wellbeing. For healthcare workers, there are psychological impacts which could be sustained, and frontline health and care workers are particularly at risk. In the early stages of the pandemic, we launched a programme of studies to look at workers' experiences at different stages of the pandemic, the impacts on their psychological wellbeing and their views towards training and support. The WoW study (1) will tell us more about work and employment nationally. The ICON study; (2) highlights the prevalence of mental health impacts of the pandemic specifically on nurses and midwives. ICON data collected before, during and after the Covid-19 peak informs the development of supportive interventions for healthcare workers. ICON findings have been reported in the national press-BBC health news-with 88% concerned about health risks to themselves and their families. Within weeks of the declaration of UK pandemic, we rapidly developed and mobilised interventions to support workers in the NHS and social care service. Our digital package to support psychological wellbeing in health and care workers developed in the Covid e-package study (3) is being utilised in Covid-19 NHS Health and Wellbeing Offers in NHS trusts, and has been accessed by over 40,000 workers. The psychological impact of the pandemic on healthcare students is now being explored in the PoWerS Study (4), together with an exploration of their views towards the e-package to support the mental wellbeing of next generation healthcare workers. Finally, in the Covid well study (5) we are evaluating the implementation of Covid-19 supported Wellbeing Centres in an acute hospital trust and looking at the views of NHS employees towards this provision during the pandemic to ascertain how best to sustain or develop the supportive interventions rapidly initiated during this difficult time. WoW Study: Wellbeing of the Workforce The WoW study is investigating how people's work and employment has changed because of COVID-19, whether this has affected their wellbeing and feelings about work, and what might be helping people to cope with the current uncertainties. We are conducting a longitudinal survey to look at recent changes (and changes over time) in how people work, health and well-being, and how people
Global Social Welfare, 2021
Background Social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in changes in the work environment and employment uncertainty. This paper reports on a cross-national comparison of four countries (Norway, UK, USA and Australia) and examines the differences in mental health between those individuals employed and those not employed during the social distancing implementation. Methods Participants (N = 3,810) were recruited through social media in April/May 2020 and were invited to complete a self-administered electronic survey over a 3-week period. Differences between those employed and those not employed with regard to their sociodemographic characteristics and mental health were investigated with chi-square tests, independent t tests, and one-way analysis of variances (ANOVAs). Results Compared with their counterparts, participants who were employed reported lower levels of mental health distress (p < 0.001), higher levels of psychosocial well-being (p < 0.001), better overall quality of life (p < 0.001), and lower levels of overall loneliness, social loneliness, and emotional loneliness (p < 0.001). Small to medium but consistent differences (Cohen's d = 0.23-0.67) in mental health favor those with employment or those who were retired. Conclusion Further study is needed to assess mental health over time as the COVID-19 pandemic and employment uncertainty continues.