Which cohorts will be most affected by the pandemic?
The economic repercussions of the pandemic will affect cohorts differently. For example, labour market entrants may suffer long-lasting “scarring effects” due to a difficult school-to-work transition. As noted above, cohorts that started their working lives during the financial crisis a decade ago are now experiencing another shock to their careers.
How are women specifically affected by the pandemic?
This pandemic has especially impacted women’s careers as they juggle working from home, school closures and any care responsibilities related to the virus. Unlike a typical economic recession, women are being more affected than men because lockdown measures increased household chores and care work for others. This could lead to either a setback in the progress towards gender equality as families revert to a more gendered division of labour, or it is possible that societies will begin to better appreciate and value women’s work. These effects will need to be monitored in both the short and long term.
