任何嬰兒潮一代都會(huì)告訴你,現(xiàn)在沒(méi)有人愿意工作。但事實(shí)要復(fù)雜得多。在勞動(dòng)力短缺的行業(yè),員工壓力大、工資低是出了名的。如今,甚至不是每個(gè)人都可以參加工作。
布魯金斯學(xué)會(huì)(Brookings Institution)此前估計(jì),今年1月因?yàn)殚L(zhǎng)期新冠肺炎而失業(yè)占勞動(dòng)力短缺的15%,由此計(jì)算出約有160萬(wàn)名全職員工因?yàn)殚L(zhǎng)期新冠肺炎而失業(yè)?,F(xiàn)實(shí)情況要嚴(yán)重得多:布魯金斯學(xué)會(huì)在回應(yīng)6月美國(guó)人口普查局(Census Bureau)發(fā)布的新數(shù)據(jù)時(shí)估計(jì),有200萬(wàn)人至400萬(wàn)人因?yàn)殚L(zhǎng)期新冠肺炎而退出勞動(dòng)力市場(chǎng)。
長(zhǎng)期新冠肺炎患者經(jīng)常會(huì)出現(xiàn)長(zhǎng)時(shí)間的疲勞、腦霧和肌肉酸痛。約翰斯·霍普金斯大學(xué)(Johns Hopkins)的肺部和危重病護(hù)理醫(yī)學(xué)部助理教授帕納伊斯·加利亞特薩托斯博士對(duì)《財(cái)富》雜志表示,長(zhǎng)期新冠肺炎患者的康復(fù)過(guò)程就像從自行車上摔下來(lái)后從受傷中恢復(fù)一樣。
加利亞特薩托斯說(shuō):“擦傷的最初影響已經(jīng)消失,但傷疤需要時(shí)間才能愈合。患者兩個(gè)月時(shí)還在咳嗽——這是康復(fù)過(guò)程的一部分?!?/p>
眾所周知,許多美國(guó)人都有疫情導(dǎo)致的“自行車摔傷疤痕”;根據(jù)美國(guó)人口普查局在2022年6月至7月的家庭脈搏調(diào)查(Household Pulse Survey),目前約有1,600萬(wàn)處于工作年齡的美國(guó)人患有長(zhǎng)期新冠肺炎。根據(jù)美國(guó)疾病控制與預(yù)防中心(CDC)的數(shù)據(jù),這意味著近五分之一處于工作年齡的美國(guó)人患有長(zhǎng)期新冠肺炎。
長(zhǎng)期新冠肺炎也在影響經(jīng)濟(jì)。根據(jù)布魯金斯學(xué)會(huì)的計(jì)算,因?yàn)殚L(zhǎng)期新冠肺炎而失業(yè)的人每年損失的工資高達(dá)近1,700億美元。布魯金斯學(xué)會(huì)在計(jì)算美國(guó)平均工資時(shí)發(fā)現(xiàn),如果400萬(wàn)人因?yàn)殚L(zhǎng)期新冠肺炎而失業(yè),可能會(huì)造成高達(dá)2,300億美元的損失。
去年7月,長(zhǎng)期新冠肺炎被認(rèn)定為殘疾,受《美國(guó)殘疾人法案》(Americans With Disabilities Act)保護(hù)。自那時(shí)以來(lái),許多人站出來(lái)解釋患有長(zhǎng)期新冠肺炎和照顧長(zhǎng)期新冠肺炎患者帶來(lái)的影響。由于腦霧和其他癥狀,人們不得不請(qǐng)假,照顧孩子的任務(wù)有時(shí)也需要額外的個(gè)人時(shí)間。
加州大學(xué)洛杉磯分校(UCLA)的長(zhǎng)期新冠肺炎項(xiàng)目主任尼莎·維斯瓦納坦博士告訴《財(cái)富》雜志:“我看到的情況是患者不僅因?yàn)殚L(zhǎng)期新冠肺炎需要?dú)埣舱J(rèn)定,還因?yàn)樗麄兊膰?yán)重癥狀——嚴(yán)重疲勞、腦霧、無(wú)法駕駛、無(wú)法記住所有正確的藥物——他們的另一半需要減少工作量或請(qǐng)病假?!?/p>
事情無(wú)需變成這樣
長(zhǎng)期新冠肺炎對(duì)患者的經(jīng)濟(jì)和個(gè)人財(cái)務(wù)造成影響。但根據(jù)布魯金斯學(xué)會(huì)的分析,疫情長(zhǎng)期影響帶來(lái)的破壞并非不可避免。
布魯金斯學(xué)會(huì)的報(bào)告概述了可能減輕長(zhǎng)期新冠肺炎對(duì)經(jīng)濟(jì)影響的五項(xiàng)政策措施。這包括更好地預(yù)防和治療新冠肺炎、提供更多帶薪病假、為殘疾人提供更好的工作場(chǎng)所、擴(kuò)大殘疾保險(xiǎn)的覆蓋面,以及更好地收集數(shù)據(jù),以了解有多少人患有長(zhǎng)期新冠肺炎。
居家工作凸顯了辦公室缺乏住宿條件這一問(wèn)題,而殘疾人能夠從避免通勤中受益。事實(shí)上,隨著新冠肺炎疫情席卷全國(guó),美國(guó)缺乏有保障的帶薪病假的情況變得更加突出,但病假是由雇主自行決定的。
隨著長(zhǎng)期新冠肺炎繼續(xù)影響數(shù)百萬(wàn)人,雇主必須采取更寬松的政策。(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:中慧言-王芳
任何嬰兒潮一代都會(huì)告訴你,現(xiàn)在沒(méi)有人愿意工作。但事實(shí)要復(fù)雜得多。在勞動(dòng)力短缺的行業(yè),員工壓力大、工資低是出了名的。如今,甚至不是每個(gè)人都可以參加工作。
布魯金斯學(xué)會(huì)(Brookings Institution)此前估計(jì),今年1月因?yàn)殚L(zhǎng)期新冠肺炎而失業(yè)占勞動(dòng)力短缺的15%,由此計(jì)算出約有160萬(wàn)名全職員工因?yàn)殚L(zhǎng)期新冠肺炎而失業(yè)?,F(xiàn)實(shí)情況要嚴(yán)重得多:布魯金斯學(xué)會(huì)在回應(yīng)6月美國(guó)人口普查局(Census Bureau)發(fā)布的新數(shù)據(jù)時(shí)估計(jì),有200萬(wàn)人至400萬(wàn)人因?yàn)殚L(zhǎng)期新冠肺炎而退出勞動(dòng)力市場(chǎng)。
長(zhǎng)期新冠肺炎患者經(jīng)常會(huì)出現(xiàn)長(zhǎng)時(shí)間的疲勞、腦霧和肌肉酸痛。約翰斯·霍普金斯大學(xué)(Johns Hopkins)的肺部和危重病護(hù)理醫(yī)學(xué)部助理教授帕納伊斯·加利亞特薩托斯博士對(duì)《財(cái)富》雜志表示,長(zhǎng)期新冠肺炎患者的康復(fù)過(guò)程就像從自行車上摔下來(lái)后從受傷中恢復(fù)一樣。
加利亞特薩托斯說(shuō):“擦傷的最初影響已經(jīng)消失,但傷疤需要時(shí)間才能愈合?;颊邇蓚€(gè)月時(shí)還在咳嗽——這是康復(fù)過(guò)程的一部分?!?/p>
眾所周知,許多美國(guó)人都有疫情導(dǎo)致的“自行車摔傷疤痕”;根據(jù)美國(guó)人口普查局在2022年6月至7月的家庭脈搏調(diào)查(Household Pulse Survey),目前約有1,600萬(wàn)處于工作年齡的美國(guó)人患有長(zhǎng)期新冠肺炎。根據(jù)美國(guó)疾病控制與預(yù)防中心(CDC)的數(shù)據(jù),這意味著近五分之一處于工作年齡的美國(guó)人患有長(zhǎng)期新冠肺炎。
長(zhǎng)期新冠肺炎也在影響經(jīng)濟(jì)。根據(jù)布魯金斯學(xué)會(huì)的計(jì)算,因?yàn)殚L(zhǎng)期新冠肺炎而失業(yè)的人每年損失的工資高達(dá)近1,700億美元。布魯金斯學(xué)會(huì)在計(jì)算美國(guó)平均工資時(shí)發(fā)現(xiàn),如果400萬(wàn)人因?yàn)殚L(zhǎng)期新冠肺炎而失業(yè),可能會(huì)造成高達(dá)2,300億美元的損失。
去年7月,長(zhǎng)期新冠肺炎被認(rèn)定為殘疾,受《美國(guó)殘疾人法案》(Americans With Disabilities Act)保護(hù)。自那時(shí)以來(lái),許多人站出來(lái)解釋患有長(zhǎng)期新冠肺炎和照顧長(zhǎng)期新冠肺炎患者帶來(lái)的影響。由于腦霧和其他癥狀,人們不得不請(qǐng)假,照顧孩子的任務(wù)有時(shí)也需要額外的個(gè)人時(shí)間。
加州大學(xué)洛杉磯分校(UCLA)的長(zhǎng)期新冠肺炎項(xiàng)目主任尼莎·維斯瓦納坦博士告訴《財(cái)富》雜志:“我看到的情況是患者不僅因?yàn)殚L(zhǎng)期新冠肺炎需要?dú)埣舱J(rèn)定,還因?yàn)樗麄兊膰?yán)重癥狀——嚴(yán)重疲勞、腦霧、無(wú)法駕駛、無(wú)法記住所有正確的藥物——他們的另一半需要減少工作量或請(qǐng)病假?!?/p>
事情無(wú)需變成這樣
長(zhǎng)期新冠肺炎對(duì)患者的經(jīng)濟(jì)和個(gè)人財(cái)務(wù)造成影響。但根據(jù)布魯金斯學(xué)會(huì)的分析,疫情長(zhǎng)期影響帶來(lái)的破壞并非不可避免。
布魯金斯學(xué)會(huì)的報(bào)告概述了可能減輕長(zhǎng)期新冠肺炎對(duì)經(jīng)濟(jì)影響的五項(xiàng)政策措施。這包括更好地預(yù)防和治療新冠肺炎、提供更多帶薪病假、為殘疾人提供更好的工作場(chǎng)所、擴(kuò)大殘疾保險(xiǎn)的覆蓋面,以及更好地收集數(shù)據(jù),以了解有多少人患有長(zhǎng)期新冠肺炎。
居家工作凸顯了辦公室缺乏住宿條件這一問(wèn)題,而殘疾人能夠從避免通勤中受益。事實(shí)上,隨著新冠肺炎疫情席卷全國(guó),美國(guó)缺乏有保障的帶薪病假的情況變得更加突出,但病假是由雇主自行決定的。
隨著長(zhǎng)期新冠肺炎繼續(xù)影響數(shù)百萬(wàn)人,雇主必須采取更寬松的政策。(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:中慧言-王芳
Any boomer will tell you that no one wants to work these days. But the truth is more complicated. Workers in sectors with labor shortages are notoriously stressed and underpaid. And not everyone can even work these days.
Brookings previously estimated that long COVID accounted for 15% of the labor shortage in January, calculating that about 1.6 million full-time workers were out of work because of long COVID. The reality is much graver: 2 million to 4 million individuals are out of the workforce because of long COVID, estimates Brookings in response to new Census Bureau data released in June.
Patients with long COVID often suffer from extended periods of fatigue, brain fog, and muscle aches. Long COVID is like healing from injuries after falling off a bike, Dr. Panagis Galiatsatos, assistant professor at Johns Hopkins’s division of pulmonary and critical care medicine, told Fortune.
“The initial impact of the scrape is gone, but the scar is going to take time to heal,” he said. “Patients who are still coughing at two months—that’s part of healing,” Galiatsatos said.
And many Americans have proverbial bike scars from the pandemic; about 16 million working-age Americans currently have long COVID, according to the Census Bureau’s June to July 2022 Household Pulse Survey (HPS). That’s also nearly one in five working-age Americans, per the CDC.
Long COVID is impacting the economy, too. The lost wages resulting from those with long COVID being out of the workforce amount to nearly $170 billion a year, calculates Brookings. In measuring the average U.S. wage, Brookings found that the amount could reach up to $230 billion lost if 4 million people had long COVID.
Last July, long COVID was named a disability protected under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). Since then, many have come forward to explain the effects of having and taking care?of people with long COVID. Owing to brain fog and other symptoms, people have had to take time off, and the task of caretaking also sometimes requires extra personal days.
“Not only am I seeing patients who are requiring disability due to their long COVID, but because of their severe symptoms—severe fatigue, brain fog, inability to drive, inability to remember all their correct medications—their significant others are needing to either cut back on either their workload or request time off,” Dr. Nisha Viswanathan, director of the long COVID program at UCLA, told Fortune.
It doesn’t need to be this way
Long COVID takes a toll on the economy and personal finances of patients. But the devastation of the pandemic’s long-term effects isn’t inevitable, according to analysis from Brookings.
The Brookings report outlines five policy actions that could potentially mitigate the economic impact of long COVID. This includes better prevention and treatment of COVID; more paid sick leave; better workplace accommodations for those with disabilities; expanded access to disability insurance; and better data collection to understand how many have long COVID.
Working from home highlighted the lack of accommodations in offices as some with disabilities benefited from avoiding the commute in. Indeed, the nation’s lack of guaranteed paid sick leave has become more evident as the pandemic swept the country, yet sick leave was left to the discretion of employers.
As long COVID continues to affect millions of people, employers must catch up with more accommodating policies.