Temporary Layoffs and Unemployment in the Pandemic

Kouchekinia, Noah; Kudlyak, Marianna; Ochse, Mitchell; Wolcott, Erin

Journal Article

Temporary Layoffs and Unemployment in the Pandemic

Abstract: Temporary layoffs accounted for essentially the entire increase in unemployment to its historically high rate in April 2020. Although the rate has come down since its peak, unemployment remains well above pre-pandemic levels. There is little evidence that temporary layoffs are becoming permanent at a higher rate than in the past. However, the continuation of the health and economic crisis poses a risk that a growing share of unemployment will consist of people in persistent categories of joblessness, thereby slowing the overall recovery.

Keywords: unemployment; covid-19;