How the pandemic changed the workforce, the economy and government policies.
The pandemic has heavily impacted the working industry, from labor shortages, changes for women in the workforce, shifts from offices to homes, and the economic ripples caused by supplying issues.
Societal Impacts
Women and Families
"Nearly 1.8 million women have dropped out of the labor force amid the pandemic and are now grappling with whether and how to return to work in a vastly different landscape — one where some jobs have disappeared, others are vulnerable to automation, and nearly all involve some level of health risk."
Women in the workplace have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. Most have lost their jobs, or decided to quit in order to take care of their families. As students were forced to do remote learning, many mothers were forced to stay at home as well to take care of the children forcing many families on one-person income. Some of the women have decided to re-enter the workforce but lower-income families, black and latino women have found it more difficult to find sustainable jobs and be able to find affordable child care. On the other side this has allowed for families to grow closer and opened opportunities for some women due to remote-working. The shortage of people has also forced employers to raise wages and allowed an opening for the wage-gap to close.
Economic Impacts
Breaking the Supply-Demand Chain
As the pandemic forced everyone into lockdown and the shut-down of non-essential places, this
also reduced spending and
production. This in turn created a shock from both sides of supply and demand. Some goods and
services were no longer
available like theaters, gyms or restaurants which forced many to be fired, furloughed or
laid-off. However as places
began to open up again, demand skyrocketed past what could be done by the supply chain. Many
production companies had
halted or slowed during the pandemic especially in high-risk companies where it spread amongst
workers. The bottle-neck
in supply created higher prices such as in food as well as gouging and lack of products in
stores. Apart from the supply
and demand chain, there was also a shortage of workers. Many employers blamed the lack of
motivation to go back to work on higher
unemployment benefits but the underlying issues ran further than that. Workers voiced their
concerns about
operating during a high risk
pandemic and about low wages compared to the higher costs of living due to inflation. Many also
took the chance to
switch jobs toward better opportunities or getting an education.
Political Impacts
Political Responses and General Public Concerns
Since Trump’s initial reaction to COVID-19 and his policies thereafter have shaped America into a highly volatile place as well as created many issues and consequences. Many Republican leaders have also followed in his footsteps and have reopened many places far too early, struck down mandatory face mask policies and allowed the spread and mutation of the virus to run through their citizens. This in turn has led to the deaths of thousands of Americans and the rejection of both face masks and the vaccines. In Democratic run states, studies have shown an 8% reduction of new cases. The spread of misinformation and destructive policies to please Republican voters has slowed general health and economic recovery. However this has also opened the conversation to question the government about the best interests of the people, opened eyes towards the impact of the working class, and questioned the general public about what is best for their health.
Conclusion
The pandemic has reshaped the world in both negative and positive ways. There were changes in the workforce where some people have lost jobs, others have directed themselves to new ones or towards an education and others saw an opportunity to advocate for better wages and benefits. The economy may be on a down-whirling spiral but many nations are working together to create policies to prevent turmoil and pave a path towards recovery. It put an emphasis towards general health and allowed families to grow closer than ever before. Despite the on-going struggles, it has been the catalyst for change and allowed for new conversations to take place regarding work, the government, and economy.