Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/240539 
Year of Publication: 
2021
Series/Report no.: 
IFN Working Paper No. 1396
Publisher: 
Research Institute of Industrial Economics (IFN), Stockholm
Abstract: 
We measure the distributional impact of the COVID-19 pandemic using newly released population register data in Sweden. Monthly earnings inequality increased during the pandemic, and the key driver is income losses among low-paid individuals while middle- and high-income earners were almost unaffected. The pandemic had a larger negative impact on private-sector workers and on women. Using data on individual take-up of government COVID-19 support, we show that policy significantly dampened the inequality increase, but did not fully offset it. Annual total market income inequality, which also includes capital income and taxable transfers, shows similar patterns of increasing inequality during the pandemic.
Subjects: 
Pandemic
Income inequality
Earnings
Government policy
JEL: 
D31
H12
H24
J22
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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