Coronavirus | Econofact

The Paradox of Medical Costs During the Pandemic

By Jeff Levin-Scherz and Trevis Parson·June 30, 2020
Harvard T.H. Chan School Of Public Health and Harvard Medical School and Willis Towers Watson

The Issue:

As COVID-19 began to rapidly spread in the United States, many experts suggested that medical costs would rise substantially due to the pandemic. They projected high costs from long and expensive hospitalizations for those seriously affected by the virus, especially in hot-spots throughout the country.

States Face Daunting Budget Gaps. What Can Be Done?

By Alicia Sasser Modestino, Michael Goodman and Alan Clayton-Matthews·June 25, 2020
Northeastern University, UMass Dartmouth, and Northeastern University

The Issue:

States across the nation are estimated to face budget shortfalls for the upcoming fiscal year 2021, ranging from as low as 4% in Arkansas to as high as 30% in New Mexico. In fact, these shortfalls have likely grown since first estimated as recent reports indicate that GDP has slowed more than expected,

Coronavirus’ Disproportionate Economic Impacts on Immigrants

By Chloe East, Hilary Hoynes and Tara Watson·June 17, 2020
University of Colorado Denver, University of California, Berkeley and Williams College

The Issue:

Unemployment has risen dramatically in the wake of COVID-19. The adverse labor market effects of the virus are disproportionately experienced by minority groups including Hispanics and Blacks. Immigrants (people born outside of the United States) may face particular hardship because they are more likely

Recovering from the COVID-19 Economic Crisis

By Dan Sichel and Michael Klein·June 11, 2020
Wellesley College and The Fletcher School, Tufts University

We are now in the acute economic phase of a crisis that is unprecedented in modern times — a health crisis from the coronavirus pandemic that has sparked a follow-on economic crisis. In this inaugural episode of EconoFact Chats, Dan Sichel at Wellesley College speaks with EconoFact's Executive Editor Michael Klein

(How) Will We Pay Back the Federal Debt?

By Michael Klein and Maurice Obstfeld·June 9, 2020
The Fletcher School, Tufts University and The University of California, Berkeley

The Issue:

U.S. Federal government debt in the hands of the public amounted to 79 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at the end of 2019, but it could exceed 100 percent of GDP by the end of this year and rise even higher in 2021 and beyond. Debt levels this high were last seen at the end of World War II, which

Housing Markets and the COVID-19 Crisis

By Jeffrey Zabel·June 5, 2020
Tufts University

The Issue:

The perception of falling prices of single-family homes and record levels of unemployment raise the specter of rising levels of mortgage defaults. Mortgage defaults in the wake of the economic and financial collapse in the Fall of 2008 contributed to the tepid economic recovery from that crisis, as well

Unequal Employment Impacts of COVID-19

By Laura Montenovo, Xuan Jiang, Felipe Lozano Rojas, Ian M. Schmutte, Kosali Simon, Bruce A. Weinberg and Coady Wing·June 1, 2020
Indiana University, Ohio State University and University of Georgia

The Issue:

The employment losses in the first two months of the COVID-19 pandemic already dwarf employment declines for the totality of the last two recessions and almost no group has been spared. However, there are large disparities in recent unemployment across different demographic groups. The largest employment

Disparities in Access to Health Care During a Pandemic

By Chloe East and Michelle Marcus·May 27, 2020
University of Colorado Denver and Vanderbilt University

The Issue:

The coronavirus crisis has shone a spotlight on existing disparities in access to health care in the United States and on the implications that this uneven access can have in the context of an infectious disease pandemic. Immigrants, especially non-citizens, are less likely to be insured than natives.

Work-based Risks to Latino Workers and their Families From COVID-19

By Lisa A. Gennetian and Matthew S. Johnson·May 26, 2020
Duke University Sanford School of Public Policy

The Issue:

The public health emergency brought on by the coronavirus pandemic is putting front and center the health and safety risks that many workers face on a daily basis. Perhaps most salient, some traditionally low-risk occupations like grocery store cashiers are now the workers facing some of the highest