COVID Survey Shows Widespread Economic Hardships

The latest report out from the COVID States Survey Project, co-lead by Professor Matthew Baum, finds widespread economic hardships facing a large percentage of Americans in all states.

• 18% said they had been laid off or lost their job due to the pandemic
• 18% have taken a pay cut
• 13% have been unable to make rent or mortgage payments
• 9% have had to stop or scale back work to care for children
• 3% have been evicted from their homes

The pain is worse as you focus on particular ethnic and racial groups, and parents, particularly single women with children in the home. Nearly a quarter of Hispanic respondents said they had been laid off or lost their job, and a similar percentage had taken a pay cut. A quarter of women with children at home also reported having lost a job, taken a pay cut, been unable to make rent/mortgage payments, and/or had to stop or scale back work to care for children.

Respondents who report having had COVID-19 (whether diagnosed by a medical professional or otherwise) were more likely than respondents who report not having had had COVID-19 to have suffered all five economic hardships included in the survey.

Read the full report here, and at CovidStates.org

Press Contact: Liz Schwartz, Shorenstein Center Communications Director.