Enduring Outcomes of COVID-19 Work Absences on the US Labor Market

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, has SARS-CoV-2 circulation been associated with health-related absences from work and labor force exits?In this nationally representative cohort study of approximately 158.4 million workers, rates of health-related work absences remained elevated after the pandemic and were associated with circulating SARS-CoV-2 and subsequent decreases in labor force participation by absence-affected workers.These findings suggest that COVID-19 may have created a new year-round baseline for work absences that is similar to influenza season conditions before the pandemic; policymakers should consider expanding interventions and data collection efforts to address the negative impacts of COVID-19 on the labor force.

Corresponding Author: Gregg S. Gonsalves, PhD, Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Public Health Modeling Unit, Yale School of Public Health, 350 George St, Ste 3rd Floor, New Haven, CT 06511 (gregg.gonsalves@yale.edu).

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