Work and Inequalities in the Great Confinement - loss of income and the transition to teleworking
The coronavirus pandemic poses acute public health problems that affect everyone. However, its impacts on the economy, labor markets and income distribution are also impressive. This study, carried out by a team from CoLABOR, provides a first analysis of the verified and estimated impacts of COVID-19 on the Portuguese labor market, as well as how society is experiencing the crisis caused by the coronavirus, from the point of view of income and the transition to teleworking.
The study "Work and Inequalities in the Great Confinement - loss of income and transition to teleworking" analyzes indicators that characterize the Portuguese labour market, cross-referencing them with some elements that are already known about the current situation, in order to paint a picture of the dynamics underway, as well as the particular vulnerabilities faced by specific groups of workers and companies. This exercise makes it possible to estimate which segments of the workforce are and will be most affected and how the pre-existing pattern of inequalities will change.
At the same time, the study combines this exercise with an analysis of the answers to questions on income and work from an online survey on the COVID-19 Pandemic and its impacts on various spheres of life for people living in Portugal, developed by a team from the Institute of Social Sciences of the University of Lisbon (ICS-ULisboa) and ISCTE - Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL). The survey was carried out between March 25 and 29, 2020, with a convenience sample of around 11,500 respondents, which is not representative of the population living in Portugal. For this reason, this data does not allow us to make descriptive inferences for any population. However, it does allow us to focus on two revealing aspects: 1) the relationships between certain attributes of the respondents and their opinions and behaviors; and 2) their direct speech in relation to some of the open-ended questions included in the survey.
The study was authored by CoLABOR researchers Pedro Adão e Silva, Renato Miguel do Carmo, Frederico Cantante, Catarina Mendes Cruz, Pedro Estêvão, Luís Manso e Tiago Santos Pereira.
