Search

Based on Canadian Labour Force Survey data, we estimate the differential effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on seven labour market outcomes, and separate between recent and established immigrants relative to domestic-born Canadians. We also use Recentered Influence Function (RIF) unconditional quantile regressions to estimate the differential effects across the distribution of outcomes. We find that the pandemic had an adverse effect on the labour market outcomes for all workers, and that the adverse effects were generally larger for immigrants and especially recent immigrants as well as for immigrants at the bottom of the outcome distributions. The adverse effects were generally larger at the earliest waves of the pandemic, and for recent immigrants who were female, less educated, and those with child responsibilities, and for jobs at greater risk of contact with the pandemic., (© Canadian Public Policy / Analyse de politiques.)

This article outlines a playbook for labour policies to deal with novel shocks such as COVID-19. The labour-related characteristics of such shocks are outlined, with special attention to whether and how they require labour market policy responses that are different from the conventional policies. Elements of a playbook for dealing with the crisis, as well as coming out of it, are outlined. They include having a first-responder policy team in place; acting quickly but flexibly; determining early the novel versus permanent nature of the shock; keeping people in their existing jobs; co-ordinating across other departments and jurisdictions; balancing active labour market policy versus passive income support; co-ordinating with other departments and jurisdictions; having information on lessons from previous shocks; anticipating conflicts; and planning for the recovery with an exit strategy. Although the playbook is illustrated with examples related to COVID-19, it applies to other novel shocks., (© Canadian Public Policy / Analyse de politiques.)