Low-wage workers need additional protections, safety net

Brookings researchers describe how low-wage workers have already been disproportionately affected by pandemic-related job losses, largely due to their inability to telework and their concentration in industries that do not allow social distancing. As businesses reopen and enhanced unemployment safety nets expire, workers who had been laid off will have to choose between a paycheck—which might be smaller than usual, due to reduced hours and fewer tipping customers—and an ongoing risk of exposure. Authors suggest that in the absence of federal action, states will have to assume the responsibility of creating and enforcing safety standards and bolstering safety nets for high-risk workers. #covid-19 #workforce