The Institute for Public Policy and Economic Development has worked to identify the ways in which Northeastern Pennsylvanians have been impacted by the pandemic, in order to help shape the region’s recovery efforts.
Please watch our Quarterly Video Briefing: COVID-19 and NEPA with Andrew Chew, Senior Research & Policy Analyst at The Institute.
The pandemic has had a profound impact on businesses, workers, and their families. Industries like retail, hospitality, tourism, arts, and entertainment were hit the hardest by the pandemic, and losses in these sectors have been deeply felt by workers. The unemployment rate in the region was historically high during the pandemic, peaking at 17% in Lackawanna County and 18.5% in Lucerne County. Though unemployment rates have since fallen, they are still much higher than pre-pandemic levels. Nearly 50% of households in the region have experienced income loss, and a large share of Northeastern Pennsylvanians are still experiencing financial insecurity. Ten percent of homeowner households are behind on mortgage payments and 22% of renters are behind on their last month’s rent. Due to lost jobs, reduced hours, or otherwise lost income, many Northeastern Pennsylvanians are facing challenges they’ve never faced before.
An Institute study also found unequal impacts of both the COVID-19 disease itself and economic and employment loss across gender, age, and racial and ethnic lines, contributing to, and even worsening, existing disparities. In Lackawanna and Lucerne counties, people of color filed 21% of long-term unemployment claims before the pandemic started; by October of 2020, that share was 32%.
Similarly, women filed 40% of unemployment claims in Lackawanna and Lucerne counties before the pandemic, and over 50% of claims during the pandemic. This disproportionate impact experienced by marginalized communities is a concerning trend that must be addressed as the region begins the recovery process. Based on data and research, The Institute has developed the Regional Indicators Initiative to help shape the region’s recovery efforts and best respond to challenges faced by Northeastern Pennsylvanians in the wake of COVID-19. Recovery efforts must prioritize businesses, workers, and families that are the most vulnerable and may take the longest to rebound from the pandemic, and public policies must address the financial, social, and medical inequities exposed and widened by the pandemic.
For more COVID-19 impact data, please visit our website to learn more from our tracker reports and briefings. Through its work, The Institute hopes to inform the region’s economic recovery and ensure the strengthening of Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Teri Ooms
Guest Contributor
Executive Director
The Institute for Public Policy and Economic Development
ooms@institutepa.org
Moses Taylor Foundation continues to follow mitigation efforts set forth by the PA Department of Health, including guidance around teleworking. Foundation staff will continue to work remotely and be available via email, phone and teleconference.
