The coronavirus pandemic poses acute public health problems affecting everyone. However, its impacts on the economy, labor markets, and income distribution are equally significant. This study , prepared by a CoLABOR team , provides an initial analysis of the observed 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 perspective of income and the transition to remote work .
The study “ Work and Inequalities in the Great Lockdown – loss of income and transition to teleworking ” analyzes indicators characterizing the Portuguese labor market, cross-referencing them with some elements already known about the current situation, to outline a picture of the ongoing dynamics, as well as the particular vulnerabilities faced by specific groups of workers and companies. This exercise allows us to estimate which segments of the workforce are being and will be most affected , and how the pre-existing pattern of inequalities will transform.
At the same time, the study combines this exercise with an analysis of responses to questions about 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 – University Institute of Lisbon (ISCTE-IUL). The survey was conducted between March 25 and 29, 2020, with a convenience sample of approximately 11,500 respondents, not representative of the resident population in Portugal. For this reason, these data do not allow for descriptive inferences to be made for any population. However, they 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 discourse in relation to some 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, and Tiago Santos Pereira.
