The downturn has not fallen equally on all Americans; those least able to bear the burden have been the most affected. The rise in joblessness has been especially severe for lower-wage workers, for women, and for African-Americans and Hispanics. This reversal of economic fortune has upended many lives and created great uncertainty about the future.
3.3 Unequal labour market impact Overall, the potential rise in inequality as a consequence of the pandemic is a major concern to me. Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz put it quite succinctly: “COVID-19 has not been an equal opportunity virus ” [22]  virus.