How Covid heightens existing inequalities
15 October
Larry Mishel, an economist, shared an article on how the Covid-19 pandemic is exacerbating the already existing labour market inequalities in the US.
According to the latest report from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), more people were found to be leaving the work force than jobs being created by employers.
Further, new jobs being created were lower than the previous months and permanent layoffs were increasing with 3.7 million workers being permanently laid off.
Several firms including Disney, United Airlines, Wells Fargo, and Salesforce have announced permanent layoffs.
The article noted that the pandemic is unevenly impacting different groups of workers particularly black people, older workers and women.
Issues such as low wages, access to good jobs and retirement policies need to be addressed, the article added.