6.25.21. Noah Williams. I survey the current state of labor markets in the United States and the state of Wisconsin. In recent weeks the labor market has become a primary focus of economic and policy discussions, with job openings soaring to record levels while employment gains have slowed.
Labor
The (Poor) Performance of the Unemployment Insurance System during COVID-19 in the United States and (Especially) Wisconsin
5.10.21. Noah Williams. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, unemployment increased at a rate never before seen in the United States. In response, the federal government expanded unemployment insurance benefits to aid those thrown out of work.
The Impact of Increased Unemployment Benefits During the COVID-19 Pandemic
4.1.21. Junjie Guo, Noah Williams, Arwa Alalwani, Zhi Jiang, Jiashun Pang, Stefan Smutny, Linhua Zeng. We analyze the effects of the 2020 CARES Act implementation on the local labor market. We use observations from the Homebase Database which provides granular labor market data from a sample of small businesses across the United States.
Wisconsin’s Labor Market and COVID-19
2.5.21. Kim Ruhl. This brief reports labor-market indicators for Wisconsin to demonstrate the effects of COVID-19 on labor supply and demand. This report is part of a larger effort at CROWE to document and analyze the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Industry Concentration and Local Labor Market Dynamics
1.29.21. Simeon Alder. In recent years, a growing literature has analyzed the effects of various shocks and policies on local employment growth.
The Effects of COVID-19 on Wisconsin’s Workers and Firms
6.26.20. Kim Ruhl. This note highlights two high-frequency data series that show some of the effects of COVID-19 on Wisconsin workers and firms. This report is part of a larger effort at CROWE to document and analyze the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Measuring Proximity to Others in the Workplace
5.5.20. Kim Ruhl. This brief uses data that score occupations by how closely workers interact with others in order to rank industries on their potential to spread disease through close contact. This report is part of a larger effort at CROWE to document and analyze the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Unemployment Benefits under the Federal COVID-19 Relief Package
3.27.20. Noah Williams. As the COVID-19 pandemic has spread throughout the United States, it has led to mass shutdowns of businesses with many states being placed under shelter-in-place orders.
The Geographic Distribution of Workers Most At Risk Economically When Ordered To Stay At Home
3.26.20. Junjie Guo. On March 24, 2020, at the direction of Governor Tony Evers, Wisconsin issued a “safer at home” order requiring residents not to leave their home unless necessary. Similar orders to lock down the economy in an attempt to limit the spread of COVID-19 have been issued elsewhere.
COVID-19, Industry Mix and the Growth of Initial UI Claims across States
3.23.20. Junjie Guo. In its latest news release on unemployment insurance (UI) weekly claims, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) reported that, relative to the prior week, the number of initial claims increased significantly by 70,000 in the week ending on March 14, 2020.