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Unemployment insurance claims for the week ending March 21 reached a record-breaking 3.3 million. An analysis from Ryan Nunn and Jana Parsons shows that unemployment duration is substantially shorter for workers who are temporarily laid off, providing hope that employment relationships can be maintained—at least for a certain length of time—after a temporary shutdown of the U.S. economy.
As British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced dramatic restrictions to limit the spread of the coronavirus, Brexit was on few people’s minds. Amanda Sloat writes that though Britain still enjoys the benefits of EU membership through a transition period ending in December, an extension may be necessary to deal with the fallout of COVID-19.
Over the last week, Rubenstein Fellow Molly Kinder traveled to supermarkets across the Washington, D.C. region and interviewed workers from Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia and the District to hear how COVID-19 is impacting them and to get their thoughts on hazard pay, sick leave, and other protection measures.
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