Impacts of Jobs Requiring Close Physical Proximity and High Interaction with the Public on U.S. Industry Employment Change During the Early Stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Gabe, Todd and Florida, Richard (2021): Impacts of Jobs Requiring Close Physical Proximity and High Interaction with the Public on U.S. Industry Employment Change During the Early Stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Abstract

This paper examines the factors affecting U.S. industry employment change in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results show that the percentage of industry employment in occupations that require close physical proximity has a negative impact on year-over-year employment change in the six months of April through September of 2020, which is likely the result of the shutdown and COVID-related measures to encourage social distancing. The percentage of industry employment in jobs that involve high interaction with the public has a negative impact on year-over-year employment change in April and May—presumably due to measures that prohibited the assembly of large groups—but not in the months of June to September.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: COVID-19; U.S. Industry Employment Change; Occupations; Physical Proximity; Public Interaction
• Subjects: I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I1 - Health > I18 - Government Policy ; Regulation ; Public Health; J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J2 - Demand and Supply of Labor > J24 - Human Capital ; Skills ; Occupational Choice ; Labor Productivity; L - Industrial Organization > L8 - Industry Studies: Services > L83 - Sports ; Gambling ; Restaurants ; Recreation ; Tourism

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