The Labour Market during COVID-19: Crisis and Recovery. Comparative Analysis in Four Countries

Given the relevance of policy decisions in the context of the COVID-19 crisis and the subsequent recovery, along with the current political debate regarding the importance and reform of labour institutions, this study is part of a broader objective: to analyse the effects of different configurations of labour regulations and labour market structures on the dynamics of the labour market, with special attention on informality and precariousness.

During the pandemic-induced slowdown, the structure of labour markets and the institutions regulating them played an important role—alongside health measures—in shaping labour dynamics during both the crisis and the recovery phases. With the general aim of analysing the effects of various labour regulatory frameworks and labour market structures on the dynamics of labour, this study seeks to understand the crisis’s impact and the speed and shape of employment recovery in different institutional and economic contexts.

This paper offers a descriptive-statistics based quantitative study of the changes observed in the level, characteristics, and dynamics of labour market participation and employment in four countries, which present diverse situations concerning the configurations of their labour relations: Argentina, the United States, Italy, and Mexico. The figures are analysed in light of the distinct institutional arrangements and the importance of labour informality and precariousness in each country.

The analysis will draw on data from household surveys and databases compiled by the national statistical institutes of the respective countries: Argentina’s Permanent Household Survey (EPH-INDEC), the Current Population Survey and National Compensation Survey (CPS-BLS) in the United States, Italy’s Rilevazione Oros (employment, wages, social charges) from the National Institute of Statistics, and Mexico’s National Survey of Occupation and Employment (ENOE-INEGI).