Despite wellbeing concerns, US adults are happier

Significance

Biles provided a high-profile but not uncommon example of the deterioration of individual wellbeing in the United States. Many public health indicators were pointing in that direction before COVID-19, yet US adults paradoxically reported themselves happier in 2020 than before the pandemic.

Impacts

• The spotlight thrown by the pandemic on mental health issues may not translate into further research and better services.
• Young people report lower levels of wellbeing than other age groups but are more optimistic about labour market opportunities.
• Job losses due to automation and digitisation pose a significant long-term risk to wellbeing without pre-emptive interventions.