Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/243464 
Year of Publication: 
2021
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Policy Paper No. 178
Publisher: 
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn
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
COVID-19
JEL: 
D31
H12
H24
J22
Document Type: 
Working Paper

Files in This Item:
File
Size
680.78 kB





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.