COVID-19 and income inequality: evidence from monthly population registers.

ABSTRACT: We measure the distributional impact of the COVID-19 pandemic using newly released population register data in Sweden. Monthly earnings inequality increased during the pandemic, and the key driver is income losses among low-paid individuals while middle- and high-income earners were almost unaffected. In terms of employment, as measured by having positive monthly earnings, the pandemic had a larger negative impact on private-sector workers and on women. In terms of earnings conditional on being employed, the effect was still more negative for women, but less negative for private-sector workers compared to publicly employed. Using data on individual take-up of government COVID-19 support, we show that policy significantly dampened the inequality increase, but did not fully offset it. Annual

SUBMITTER: Angelov N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10015130 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature