Wealth gap in a pandemic: Why low income workers are less likely to social distance

The coronavirus pandemic may be widening the wealth gap in the U.S. — poorer Americans are expected to continue going to work, as many are considered to be part of the essential workforce during stay-at-home orders.

Workers earning more than $70,000 a year are able to perform more than 60% of their work at home on average, while those making less than $40,000 are able to do less than 40% of their job tasks at home, according to research analyzed by the Economist.

That study was conducted by researchers from the University of Zurich, the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge and published on voxeu.org, which “posts research based policy analysis from leading economists.”

Many lower-income workers are considered essential, including grocery clerks, delivery drivers and public transportation workers, which puts them at greater risk of being exposed to the coronavirus, the Economist reported. Because of this, poorer Americans are not self-isolating like wealthier Americans are, according to location data collected from mobile phones, the outlet reported.

Data collected by the University of California, Berkeley showed only 8% of 30,000 hourly workers surveyed could take off at least 14 days, which is the recommended amount of time someone with COVID-19 should quarantine, according to Quartz, an international, business-focused news organization.

Dozens of grocery store workers have died in the U.S. from coronavirus and thousands have been infected, Quartz reported. Most hourly workers don’t get paid sick leave, and 27% of workers who can’t get sick pay don’t seek medical attention because they can’t afford it, according to Quartz.

The gap is further exemplified by worker demographics — around 16% of Hispanic workers and less than 20% of black workers are able to work from home, according to the Economic Policy Institute. Asian-American workers are most likely to have the ability to work from home, followed by non-Hispanic and white workers, the Economic Policy Institute reported.

Overall, less than 30% of American workers have the option to work from home, according to the Economic Policy Institute. School closures are adding to the burden: Workers are being forced to choose between taking care of their kids and working, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The effects are compounded by the fact that low-income students are less likely to have the resources necessary to excel in online learning as many don’t have access to computers, printers or “tech-savvy parents,” Johns Hopkins University says.

Community centers like libraries usually make up the difference of what students need and what their families can provide, but those, too, have been closed in the midst of the pandemic, according to Johns Hopkins University.

These gaps in access could have a dire impact on the economy as a whole, Johns Hopkins University says.

“Given the uneven burden, a concern is that long-term quarantine or social distancing measures are unsustainable, in part because the costs borne by disadvantaged segments of the population are too brutal,” according to experts from Johns Hopkins University.

This story was originally published April 25, 2020 at 2:04 PM with the headline "Wealth gap in a pandemic: Why low income workers are less likely to social distance."