Publication details

Publication date
Series or book
IFS Briefing Notes
Series or chapter number
BN286
Pages
pp. 1–25
Publisher
Institute for Fiscal Studies
ISBN
978-1-912805-76-1

Summary

Governments are starting to ease restrictions to economic activity. The risks of easing these measures too soon, or in misguided ways, are obvious, not only for public health but also for the economy. A world with no lockdown and a pandemic spreading rapidly through the population does not make for a healthy economy; nor, in all likelihood, does a world in which containment measures have to be repeatedly reinstated after being eased prematurely or in suboptimal ways. We discuss some key economic issues that the UK government needs to face when thinking about how best to get people back into work: we assemble some basic empirical evidence, identify some challenges that policymakers will need to confront, and discuss some policy considerations.

Notes

Uses Understanding Society data (not Understanding Society - COVID-19 Study, 2020)

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