COVID poses long-term US education and earning risks

Significance

Many school districts are now opening online, with a hybrid model or completely in-person. This comes as COVID-19 is creating a US childcare crisis that will have immediate and longer-term economic, social and political consequences.

Impacts

• Childcare options for school-aged children may benefit from greater demand, balanced against social distancing rules.
• COVID-19 mitigation has undermined states’ budgets, limiting their money to make schools pandemic-safe.
• Republican-dominated areas are more likely to push full school reopening than Democratic-dominated areas.
• Universities are struggling to reopen, which could hit their budgets and viability, undermining US tertiary education.
• COVID-19 will be a particular burden to minorities and women, and could dent children’s long-term earnings.