EPI: The Devastating Impact of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) on Black Americans

The Economic Policy Institute, a progressive-leaning research think tank, released a report entitled "Black workers face two of the most lethal preexisting conditions for coronavirus—racism and economic inequality" (June 1, 2020). The report examines the economic and health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on black workers (click here for the press release). Key findings revealed that:

• Black workers are less likely to continue working from the safety of their homes;
• Black workers are more likely to be classified as essential workers and face health insecurity as a result;
• More than one in six black workers lost their jobs between February 2020 and April 2020;
• Black workers are disproportionately more likely to live in areas experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks;

Black workers are more likely than other workers of other races to be employed in front-line occupations (e.g., public transit; child care and social services; trucking, warehouse, & postal service). The devastating effects of COVID-19 are a reflection of persistent economic and health disparities in the black community. Underlying factors exacerbating the economic and physical well-being of Black Americans include historically higher unemployment rates, significant black-white wage gaps, benefits gaps, lower shares of black households with multiple wage-earners, higher shares of households with single parents, less cash reserves, higher incidence of pre-existing health conditions, less access to medical care and health insurance, higher proportion of families living in densely populated housing, and higher proportion of multigenerational households with older family members at risk of contracting the virus. Although Congress passed the CARES Act in late March 2020 to ameliorate the disease's economic impact on workers and families, the response has yielded uneven results because of differential access to the resources. Racial disparities also exist in who has access to computer and broadband Internet subscription in their home and access to bank accounts.

Black Americans continue to make up a disproportionate number of reported COVID-19 deaths. Congressional leaders, municipal leaders, health care experts, and community organizations should use these findings to develop interventions that will help reduce the disparate racial impact of the COVID-19 disease. These factors revealed how the ongoing effects of racism can produce unequal outcomes in access to employment, health care, and housing. For more information about the impact of COVID-19 on Black Americans, check out the links below:

• American Medical Association: Why African American communities are being hit hard by COVID-19
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: COVID-19 in Racial and Ethnic Minority Groups
• Pew Research Center: Black Americans face higher COVID-19 risks, are more hesitant to trust medical scientists, get vaccinated
• The Washington Post: Disproportionately black counties account for over half of coronavirus cases in the U.S. and nearly 60% of deaths, study finds