Interviews with grocery workers keeping Americans alive, how COVID-19 changes Brexit, and what is going to happen to laid off workers.
Editor’s note: The Brookings Institution campus in Washington, D.C. will be closed through at least April 24. For more information, read our full guidance here. As Brookings experts continue to assess the global impacts of COVID-19, read the latest analysis and policy recommendations at our coronavirus page or stay up to date with our coronavirus newsletter. | How long can we expect temporary layoffs to remain temporary? Unemployment insurance claims for the week ending March 21 reached a record-breaking 3.3 million. An analysis from Ryan Nunn and Jana Parsons shows that unemployment duration is substantially shorter for workers who are temporarily laid off, providing hope that employment relationships can be maintained—at least for a certain length of time—after a temporary shutdown of the U.S. economy. Read more | Brexit is not immune to coronavirus As British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced dramatic restrictions to limit the spread of the coronavirus, Brexit was on few people’s minds. Amanda Sloat writes that though Britain still enjoys the benefits of EU membership through a transition period ending in December, an extension may be necessary to deal with the fallout of COVID-19. Read more | The conclusions and recommendations of any Brookings publication are solely those of its author(s), and do not reflect the views of the Institution, its management, or its other scholars. | |