More than two years after the coronavirus pandemic began, social distancing is keeping some workers from going back to work.
The study, entitled “Long Social Distancing,” estimated that people’s unwillingness to be in close proximity to each other has reduced labor participation by 2.5 percentage points in the first half of 2022 compared to what economists would normally expect to see — translating to $250 billion in potential annual output, representing nearly a 1 percentage-point drop.
About one-fifth of the respondents who were not participating in the labor force during the week the survey was conducted said concerns about catching COVID-19 or other infectious diseases was the primary or secondary reason they were not currently working or seeking work. The three authors of the paper came from the business and economic departments of Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico, the University of Chicago and Stanford University.
Those reporting a strong desire to continue social distancing are more likely to work in jobs that require face-to-face encounters, the study found. In the early days of the pandemic — and before vaccines were available — millions of office-sitting workers were able to work from home, while many lower-wage workers faced the highest risk of contracting COVID-19.
Good to know that billionaires are also suffering because they refuse to invest in employee health. My partner's upper college class has 2-4 students out of class every week due to Covid. Out of 30. Most of them work too. 🤷♀️ PS. Your headline is disgusting.
After 2 years, it's obvious that the 13% are sheep & are content with their 'new normal'
Alternate headline: 'billionaires and politicians refusing to take care of their workers and constituents are costing the economy...'
So maybe adapt by implementing safe buildings with clean indoor air? You'll be surprised at how quickly your precious economy comes back. But there's no mention of any of that in this article. By the way, I've worked remotely for the past 3 years and received promotions.
People have lost their entire careers due to physical and mental damage from long Covid but do go on.
And this is the last article of yours that I will sacrifice brain cells to read. Disgusting.
I thought you guys liked the free market
Can’t work if you are dead. Blaming people for considering their health is disgusting. Employers who don’t recognize this deserve to suffer.
We’ve said for a long time: if you want the economy back - make it safe. You refuse. The longer this goes on, the less desire I have to return to my old life. I’m finding new things to do. And I like them. That’s not fear. It’s adaptation. Want us back? Then *you* adapt.
Why don’t they introduce air filtration and ventilation to their businesses? They don’t want to adapt to reality and somehow it’s everyone else’s fault. Businesses that don’t adapt to are doomed. Like blacksmiths complaining about motor cars. Get a grip.
4M people are out of work due to long Covid and you’re complaining about people not wanting to add to those numbers? P.S. Covid can still kill you even though everyone likes to pretend that the pandemic is over. P.S.S. Covid can cause Type 1 diabetes!
Was this article written by a commercial real estate developer?
What a disgusting headline. It acts like covid is all in ppls imagination. Lack of mitigation’s and LongCovid is costing the economy which is not as important as health, esp in a society with zero social safety net
Duh? “Because of brain fog, fatigue, and other debilitating symptoms, long COVID is keeping the equivalent of 2 million to 4 million Americans out of work; between lost earnings and increased medical costs, it could cost the economy $2.6 trillion a year.”
We learned that more people could AND WOULD work remotely given the opportunity. I LOVED my “commute” to my basement & given the paucity of covid precautions at my in-person workplace I’m planning to leave at the end of this school year. I’d like to live long enough to retire🤷♀️
These “researchers” are really bad at researching.
People being sick repeatedly for significant amounts of time is costing the US economy billions. This is a ridiculous article.
How much does it cost the economy when people are sick several times a year?
Disgusting article. It isn’t people being afraid costing the economy billions it is businesses not taking covid precautions to protect workers costing billions. 1 million have died of covid. Still 1,000 deaths a day. Media by downplaying covid is complicit in 750,000 deaths!
Pandemic hysteria affected these people mentally. I bet some of them can be seen on YouTube videos yelling at people for not wearing masks.
What is wrong with people? 🤦🏻♂️
This 13% of people didn’t want to be around poeple anyway
MSM discovered baby boomers are retiring cause they’re in their late 60s or older
All those that refuse to go back to work should be fired. It’s absurd at this point. It’s like getting a bad cold/flu. There is absolutely no reason for people not to be back at work.
People have the right to do what they want and not feel the (false) pressure of boosting the economy. Death rates are down but not eliminated and people are still suffering. My mother in law has COVID. I will tell her to get better quickly to improve business performance.
Is just the beginnings?⚖️ 💀💀💀
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