Nearly three in ten New York City (NYC) residents (29 percent) report that either they or someone in their household has lost their job as a result of coronavirus over the last two weeks. In addition, 80 percent of NYC residents said they experienced reduced ability to get the food they need, and two-thirds (66 percent) reported a loss of social connection in the past week, suggesting that compelled isolation is taking a toll on residents. The findings are part of the second week of data from a city and statewide CUNY Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy (CUNY SPH) tracking survey conducted March 20-22.
Key sub-group findings on job loss in New York City include:
The city’s Latinx/Hispanic community appeared to be hit hardest, with two in five respondents (41 percent) saying either they or a household member lost their job in the last two weeks. In comparison, less than a quarter (24 percent) of Caucasian and Asian respondents, and 15 percent of African American respondents reported household job loss.
Just over a quarter (26 percent) of English-speaking respondents who took the survey reported household job loss while two in five (39 percent) of Spanish-speaking respondents reported household job loss.
New York City households with earnings under $50,000 say they were hardest hit, with 34 percent reporting losing a job, compared to 28 percent of respondents with earnings between $50,000-$100,000 and 16 percent of those who reported they earned over $100,000.
42 percent of people with families of two or more children reported household job losses compared to 27 percent of those with one child or less.
Middle-age respondents appear to have been hit hardest, with one-third (34 percent) of 30-59 year-old respondents reporting job loss compared to less than a quarter (24 percent) of 18-29 year-olds and 23 percent of those over 60.
Tags: Friday Letter Submission, Publish on March 27