Thread by @HBoushey

The economic model of allowing economic inequality to fester has failed & over the next year we will all see why.

My 5 predictions & what we can do:

1. The US economic crisis will be deeper and more protracted than that of our economic competitors. 1/
medium.com/@heatherboushe…

It doesn’t have to be this way, and there may still be time to ensure this is not the outcome.

But the reality is that our nation has made a series of decisions over the past 50 years that has created underlying fragilities in our economy.
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2. States and localities with #paidsicdays and family and medical leave policies will see fewer transmissions of the #coronavirus.

The latest research shows mandated sick leave reduces flu rates by as much as 40% during seasonal waves of flu in the US 3/ voxeu.org/article/pros-a…

3. The fear of getting slammed with high medical bills will continue to keep those who feel sick from seeing a doctor, increasing their chances of infecting others or ending up seriously ill, all while adding stress to our healthcare system.
nytimes.com/2020/03/30/opi…
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4. This economic crisis is likely to be deep and protracted because we lack robust social insurance for tough economic times.’

The US spends just 0.6% of GDP on support exclusively for families and children, the second-lowest of all OECD countries. 5/ data.oecd.org/chart/5Uf9

5. We will feel the recession more strongly because too many policymakers don't accept that the economy depends on people.

We are our producers & consumers—We need to be healthy to show up to work and be productive, and we need to stay healthy to spend money in our economy.
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We may not be able to avoid another recession caused by a pandemic down the road, but we can make it less severe.

We can build a more resilient economy with policies to protect families across the income spectrum—not only for today but for the future. /n hamiltonproject.org/papers/recessi…