COVID One Year Later: Lessons Learned During a Year of Uncertainty

Over the past year, the Fourth Economy team has engaged with eight communities around the country as they have worked to mitigate the economic impacts of a global pandemic. In this webinar, we will share some of the key lessons we have learned by partnering with these communities, covering child care and women in the workforce, remote work and broadband infrastructure, impacts on vulnerable workers, and unique industry-specific trends. Finally, we will share future-looking considerations for what a post-pandemic economy may have in store. The information we share is critical to consider as communities move forward.

We will host this webinar in a lightning talk format with each presenter spending five minutes sharing their insights. With each topic, we will share our approach for analysis, how it compelled action, and lessons learned. We will strive to share approaches that participants can use in their own communities. Following the presentations, we will open the webinar to questions and discussion.

Specifically, we will cover:

Child Care and Women in the Workforce

Child care is a critical part of our economy’s infrastructure. Without action and investment, COVID-19 may have lasting impacts on our child care systems and parents’—especially mothers’—workforce participation.

Remote Work and Broadband Infrastructure

Some industries were made for remote work, and some communities are better at hosting remote workers. We will share how we are determining both.

Pre-existing Conditions: Worker Vulnerability and the Disparate Impacts of the Recession

The economic system in the US was marked by severe inequality preceding the COVID-19 crisis. These pre-existing economic conditions contribute to the disparate impacts that are now being felt disproportionately by people of color, women, and low-income workers.

Industry Impacts Beyond the Pandemic

Will downtowns be emptied? Will tourism ever be the same? What are the long-term supply chain impacts? How are colleges impacted? We will share a cross-sector scan of what is being forecasted for the coming year and beyond.

After you register, please check out our past webinars to hear more about the topics relevant to our community of change agents: 

• Remote Ready Cities: How to Make Your City a Remote Worker Magnet 
• Equity and Sytems Change: Planning for a More Inclusive Economy
• Measuring Community Vibrancy and Resiliency: A Community Index