The coronavirus pandemic has pulled back the curtain on a number of deep-rooted economic and social conflicts, among them being wage inequality.
Although Covid-19 threatens the health of billionaires and low-income workers alike, the latter are at a substantially higher risk of contracting the disease at work. Outside of symbolic action — labelling and honouring our “essential workers” — low-income employees are largely not compensated for the elevated risk they experience.
In our series The New Social Contract Financial Times journalists examined the problems and potential solutions we will confront after the pandemic. If the lessons of the 2008 global financial crisis are any indication, it seems likely that low-wage, high-risk work isn’t going anywhere fast.
Compounding the issue of inequality, many of the same people that felt the pain of the 2008 crash most acutely are now experiencing a second blow. Millennials were in the midst of graduating from university and establishing their professional footing during the Great Recession. Now, when they should be in their peak earning years, they are experiencing yet another setback.
How can we set low-income earners and workers under 40 on a better track post-pandemic? Is there a lesson to be learned over reducing income inequality?
Today, Claire Bushey, Chicago correspondent, and Dave Lee, San Francisco correspondent, will answer your questions on how we can attempt to correct the course of the post-pandemic landscape. Drop your questions in the comments below and Claire and Dave will answer them throughout the day.
