Op-ed: Employment effects of Covid-19
by Joshua Labrecque
The coronavirus has had wide-ranging impacts and demands attention because of what it’s doing to companies and individuals.
Many people around the world have been laid off due to Covid-19. Companies around the world have been cutting jobs and as a result 20 million people and counting are unemployed.
Amy Kay, who did not want to use her real name, was laid off from child care because of schools closing around her area. She said, “I’m worried about not getting a paycheck as I still have a family I need to support and I still need to contribute to the household.” She said it also affects her by not being able to lose weight, not sleeping well and only buying things that are absolutely necessary like food an such.
The XFL has shut down due to the layoffs. On April 10th, the XFL , an American professional football league,suspended operations laying off nearly all staff besides a few executives. They say there are no current plans to return in 2021 and beyond that. Vince McMahon, owner of the XFL and WWE said, “Given the uncertainty of the current environment, the XFL has suspended operations and is evaluating next steps.” The COO, Jeffrey Pollack, had a 10 minute call with players and staff to tell them the news.
Bird, a vehicle sharing platform that provides affordable transportation solutions to communities across the world, has laid off about 30% of its employees amid the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus. This came out to 406 people laid off out of 1,387 employees.
The solution is to add more money to the stimulus package. You get $1200 if your single, $2,400 if you’re married and you get an additional $500 if you have kids that you have claimed on your tax return. I don’t think that’s nearly enough to last people until the end of quarantine. I think they should either add more money to the checks or send out a new check every month. We don’t know when quarantine will end but the people need more money to live well.
Journalism student Joshua Labrecque is doing well in this time of crisis. He hopes everyone is staying safe and being smart about what they do.
