Download This PaperCOVID-19 and Unequal Social Distancing across Demographic Groups
Regional Science, Policy and Practice, Forthcoming
27 Pages Posted: 21 Apr 2020 Last revised: 2 Nov 2020
Date Written: August 2, 2020
Abstract
This paper analyzes whether social distancing experienced by alternative demographic groups within the U.S. has been different amid COVID-19. The formal investigation is achieved by using daily state-level mobility data from the U.S. covering information on the demographic categories of income, education and race/ethnicity. The results show that social distancing have been experienced more by higher-income, higher-educated or Asian people after the declaration of National Emergency on March 13th, 2020. Since alternative demographic groups were subject to alternative employment opportunities during this period (e.g., due to being able to work from home), redistributive effects of COVID-19 are implied that require demographic-group specific policies.
Keywords: COVID-19, Coronavirus, Social Distancing, Demographics, Income, Education, Race
JEL Classification: I10, I18, I20, J15, O15
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