COVID-19 and unequal social distancing across demographic groups.

This paper analyses whether social distancing experienced by alternative demographic groups within the US has been different amid COVID-19. The formal investigation is achieved by using daily state-level mobility data from the US covering information on the demographic categories of income, education and race/ethnicity. The results show that social distancing has been experienced more by higher-income, higher-educated or Asian people after the declaration of National Emergency on 13 March 2020. Since alternative demographic groups were subject to alternative employment opportunities during this period (e.g., due to being able to work from home), it is implied that COVID-19 has redistributive effects that require demographic-group specific policies.