COVID-19 and the Workforce: July 1, 2022

COVID-19 and the Workforce: July 1, 2022

TOP HEADLINES 

U.S. Layoffs, Hiring Freezes Are Tip of Labor Market Slowdown  
Bloomberg – June 25, 2022 
The U.S. labor market is stronger today than many thought possible. But cracks are emerging, signaling that it’s not going to last. 

U.S. Jobless Claims Edged Lower Last Week 
The Wall Street Journal – June 30, 2022 
New applications for unemployment benefits inched down last week, a sign the labor market remains tight as the broader economy shows signs of slowing. 

Protecting High-Risk Individuals Means Considering the Economic Cost of COVID-19
Roosevelt Institute – June 28, 2022 
In this analysis, Roosevelt Institute documents disparities in missed work due to COVID-19 by income, race, ethnicity, and education level based on nationally representative Household Pulse Survey (HPS) data from Americans aged 18 to 64 years, collected between August 2020 and June 2022. 

The Pandemic May Have Forever Altered the Economy, Fed Chair Powell says 
CNN Business – June 29, 2022 
It’s not yet clear if the U.S. economy will ever return to its pre-pandemic status, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said June 29 at a central banker forum in Portugal.  

What’s New from the CDC 
Keep up with all the latest information on COVID-19 directly from the resources created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  

GLOBAL NEWS 

Australia 
Australia’s COVID-19 and Flu Cases are on the Rise — This is What’s Driving Them 
ABC News – June 24, 2022 
Experts are warning new COVID variants, coupled with low influenza immunity in the community, will likely put pressure on Australia’s hospitals in coming weeks. 

Canada 
Ontario Becomes First Province to Mandate Policies on Disconnecting From Work 
CTV News – June 4, 2022 
In a win for work-life balance, a new law caused by COVID-19 is now in effect in Ontario that forces many companies to craft policies on employees disconnecting from work after hours.  

India 
NSO Report Says India Work Population Ratio is 39.8% 
ABP Live – June 27, 2022 
The National Statistical Office recently released the annual report of Periodic Labor Force Surveys conducted between July 2020 and June 2021 to estimate key employment and unemployment indicators. 

United Kingdom 
UK COVID Cases Break 250,000 a Day for First Time Since Mid-April After BA.4 and BA.5 Surge 
I News – June 26, 2022 
COVID-19 cases have passed the 250,000-a-day mark in the UK, rising by 130% in only three weeks. New daily cases are now at the highest level they have been for all but a month of the pandemic so far. 

United States 
Despite Another COVID Surge, Deaths Stay Near Lows 
New York Times – June 20, 2022 
Nearly three months since an ultra-contagious set of new Omicron variants launched a springtime resurgence of cases, people are dying from COVID at a rate close to the lowest of the pandemic. 

Poland 
Vaccine Against Omicron Variant Available from September 
The First News – June 27, 2022 
Information was released from Moderna saying that they had carried out initial tests of the new vaccine against the Omicron COVID variant and that the results will be submitted to the European Union in August. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON COVID-19