What cannot be cured must be endured: the long-lasting effect of a COVID-19 infection on workplace productivity

Fischer, K., Reade, J. J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8610-530X and Schmal, W. B. (2022) What cannot be cured must be endured: the long-lasting effect of a COVID-19 infection on workplace productivity. Labour Economics, 79. 102281. ISSN 0927-5371 doi: 10.1016/j.labeco.2022.102281

Abstract/Summary

The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered economic shock waves across the globe. Exploiting a natural experiment, this paper estimates how being infected with the virus shapes individual-level productivity after having recovered. Studying the performance of professional athletes in Germany and Italy and applying a staggered difference-in-differences design, we find that individual performance drops by around 6 percent after a previously infected athlete returns to the pitch. This striking deterioration remains persistent over time – amounting to 5 percent eight months after the infection. The effect increases with age and infection severity, and is spread disproportionally over the course of a match. We detect no productivity effects for other respiratory infections. We take these findings as first evidence that the pandemic might cause long-lasting effects on worker productivity and economic growth.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/108473
Identification Number/DOI	10.1016/j.labeco.2022.102281
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Arts, Humanities and Social Science > School of Politics, Economics and International Relations > Economics
Publisher	Elsevier
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