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Employment impacts of the COVID‐19 pandemic across metropolitan status and size

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  • Seung Jin Cho
  • Jun Yeong Lee
  • John V. Winters

Abstract

We use individual‐level data from the United States Current Population Survey to examine effects of the COVID‐19 pandemic on employment losses across metropolitan area status and population size. Job losses spiked in April 2020, and partially recovered in subsequent months. Non‐metropolitan and metropolitan areas of all sizes experienced significant employment losses, but the impacts were much larger in large metropolitan areas. The COVID‐19 infection rate was initially higher in large metropolitan areas and this is a significant factor explaining the higher early employment losses in large metropolitan areas. However, higher job losses for large metropolitan areas persisted through summer and fall 2020 even after COVID‐19 infection rates became higher in less populous areas. We find evidence of persistent effects of early COVID‐19 infection rates on later employment.

Suggested Citation

  • Seung Jin Cho & Jun Yeong Lee & John V. Winters, 2021. "Employment impacts of the COVID‐19 pandemic across metropolitan status and size," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(4), pages 1958-1996, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:growch:v:52:y:2021:i:4:p:1958-1996
    DOI: 10.1111/grow.12540
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    Cited by:

    1. Ahn, Kunwon & Lee, Jun Yeong & Winters, John V., 2020. "Employment Opportunities and High School Completion during the COVID-19 Recession," ISU General Staff Papers 202010190700001114, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    2. Festus Victor Bekun & Abdulkareem Alhassan & Ilhan Ozturk & Obadiah Jonathan Gimba, 2022. "Explosivity and Time-Varying Granger Causality: Evidence from the Bubble Contagion Effect of COVID-19-Induced Uncertainty on Manufacturing Job Postings in the United States," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 10(24), pages 1-17, December.
    3. Althoff, Lukas & Eckert, Fabian & Ganapati, Sharat & Walsh, Conor, 2022. "The Geography of Remote Work," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    4. Elizabeth Knowlton & Goran Skosples & Robert J. Gitter, 2022. "Is anybody home? remote working opportunities and employment during the covid-19 crisis," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 42(2), pages 350-359.
    5. Wolter H. J. Hassink & Guyonne Kalb & Jordy Meekes, 2021. "Regional Coronavirus Hotspots During the COVID-19 Outbreak in the Netherlands," De Economist, Springer, vol. 169(2), pages 127-140, May.
    6. Péter Füleky & István Szapudi, 2022. "Bird’s Eye View of COVID-19, Mobility, and Labor Market Outcomes Across the US," Economics of Disasters and Climate Change, Springer, vol. 6(2), pages 339-353, July.
    7. Cochrane, William & Poot, Jacques & Roskruge, Matthew, 2022. "Urban Resilience and Social Security Uptake: New Zealand Evidence from the Global Financial Crisis and the COVID-19 Pandemic," IZA Discussion Papers 15510, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    8. Balana, Bedru B. & Oyeyemi, Motunrayo & Ogunniyi, Adebayo & Fasoranti, Adetunji & Edeh, Hyacinth & Andam, Kwaw, 2022. "Have households’ livelihoods and food security rebounded from COVID-19 shocks in Nigeria? Results from a follow-up phone survey," 96th Annual Conference, April 4-6, 2022, K U Leuven, Belgium 321205, Agricultural Economics Society - AES.
    9. Nana Aisha Garba & Lea Sacca & Rachel D. Clarke & Prasad Bhoite & John Buschman & Virama Oller & Nancy Napolitano & Samuel Hyppolite & Sophia Lacroix & Al Archibald & Ocean Hamilton & Tobi Ash & David, 2022. "Addressing Food Insecurity during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Intervention Outcomes and Lessons Learned from a Collaborative Food Delivery Response in South Florida’s Underserved Households," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-12, July.
    10. Antonio Chirumbolo & Antonino Callea & Flavio Urbini, 2021. "The Effect of Job Insecurity and Life Uncertainty on Everyday Consumptions and Broader Life Projects during COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(10), pages 1-20, May.

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    JEL classification:

    • J2 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor
    • R2 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis

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