Did the Covid-19 Recession Increase the Demand for Digital Occupations in the USA? Evidence from Employment and Vacancies Data
摘要
This paper investigates whether Covid-19 increased the demand for digital occupations in the United States. Using O*NET data to capture the occupations’ digital content, we find that the digital share of employment and vacancies increased more in regions that were hit harder during the pandemic. However, this was driven by a smaller decline in employment and vacancies for digital occupations relative to non-digital ones, and not by an absolute increase in demand for digital workers. While digital occupations were more insulated, particularly in urban areas and cognitive occupations, there is little evidence of a permanent shift.