Tracking the Effects of COVID-19 on American Lives and Livelihoods
As governments, communities, businesses, and the public continue to grapple with how to limit the spread of the new coronavirus and to mitigate the economic, social, and emotional impacts of policies aimed at doing so, they need objective, up-to-date, publicly available information on how Americans are being affected across a wide variety of areas.
During the past five months, RAND researchers have conducted a series of surveys using the American Life Panel (ALP), a nationally representative internet panel, to examine the effects of COVID-19 on Americans' lives and livelihoods and help inform effective policies and interventions.
In this remote conversation, Shanthi Nataraj shares key RAND research findings. She discusses how the pandemic is affecting Americans' physical and mental health, their daily lives, and their employment and financial well-being. Brandon Baker hosts.
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A nationally representative, probability-based panel of more than 6000 participants who are regularly interviewed over the internet.
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Shanthi Nataraj, senior economist with the RAND Corporation, explains which communities and businesses have been hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Even as the public discussion about COVID-19 risk becomes increasingly polarized, many Americans are slowly and quietly balancing the threat of infection against valued daily activities, and learning to live in a riskier world.
Shanthi Nataraj, Sita Nataraj Slavov
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Between February and May, one in six U.S. workers lost their jobs. Most were either laid off or unable to work because of coronavirus restrictions. The ability to telecommute protected against job loss. But of course not all jobs are conducive to telecommuting.
Philip Armour , Katherine Grace Carman, et al.
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About one-third of U.S. households have experienced a decline in income as a result of COVID-19. Roughly 30 percent are having difficulties paying their bills, with these problems highly concentrated among low-income households, as well as black and Hispanic households.
Katherine Grace Carman, Shanthi Nataraj