To prevent a long-term recession, make the U.S. government the payor of last resort now
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The United States is facing an unprecedented economic crisis. With a public health-driven, government-ordered shutdown of vast sectors of the economy to slow the spread of the coronavirus, we’ve never seen the U.S. economy crater so quickly. Quick government action is needed to stanch the flow of ma…
Research shows paid leave is needed to protect families, workers, and businesses during the coronavirus recession and beyond
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The challenge for U.S. workers of balancing family and job responsibilities amid the coronavirus recession without access to paid family and medical leave is, alas, a familiar story even before the pandemic hit the country. When a new child arrives, loved ones get sick, or a serious illness strikes,…
Paid medical and caregiving leave during the coronavirus pandemic: What they are and why they matter
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(This issue brief draws on a longer report by Jane Waldfogel and Emma Liebman, “Paid Family Care Leave: A missing piece in the U.S. social insurance system.”) Overview In response to the new coronavirus health crisis, workers across the United States need paid time off to deal with their health need…
Paid caregiving leave: A missing piece in the U.S. social insurance system
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Amid the ongoing public health crisis from the COVID-19 pandemic, many individuals can expect to be called away from work to care for a sick loved one or a child out of school. To support these workers during the coronavirus recession and beyond, paid family and medical leave is receiving increased…
What does the research say about paid family and medical leave policy design options in the United States?
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Policymakers have failed to provide Americans with guaranteed paid family and medical leave at the federal level. As a result, working families across the United States must strike a delicate balance: attending to their own medical needs and caregiving responsibilities at the same time as they keep…
What is paid medical leave and how does it support U.S. workers’ health and the U.S. economy?
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When U.S. workers fall ill, it can be challenging to balance medical needs and job responsibilities. For short sicknesses, such as a cold or the flu, several days of rest at home might be all that is needed. With more significant illnesses or injuries, however, it may be impossible for a worker to r…
The president must appoint a COVID-19 czar to ramp up production of medical supplies
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COVID-19 presents the gravest threat in generations to the health and well-being of Americans. The largest of obstacle standing in the way of our defeating that threat is the capacity of our health care system—supplies, equipment, and personnel. To address this, President Trump must appoint a COVID-…
Economic experts propose policy responses to coronavirus recession
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University of California, Berkeley economists Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman, in cooperation with Economics for Inclusive Prosperity, are hosting an invitation-only online conference today to discuss economic policy responses to the coronavirus recession. In the days following the conference, Equi…
Creative economic solutions could help us avoid the next Great Depression
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Policymakers across the United States are imposing ever more stringent restrictions on economic and social activities to combat the spread of the new coronavirus. “Flattening the curve” to lower the infection rate to a level that the U.S. healthcare system can handle is important, but it’s not nearl…
Weekend reading: The inequality and coronavirus edition
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This is a post we publish each Friday with links to articles that touch on economic inequality and growth. The first section is a round-up of what Equitable Growth published this week and the second is relevant and interesting articles we’re highlighting from elsewhere. We won’t be the first to shar…