Learning from COVID-19: Understanding the labour market implications of, and government responses to, major exogenous shocks

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This research looks to investigate the labour market implications of, and government responses to, COVID-19. The first strand of research seeks to investigate individuals' experiences of homeworking during the pandemic, focusing on how this shift in work location alters individuals' conceptualisations of their identity. This research would take theoretical and methodological cues from Cultural Theory and Post-Structuralist Geography, involving thematic analysis of interview responses exploring the work/home dialectic. The second research strand looks to examine quantitatively experiences under, and the success of, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), a novel intervention in individuals' working lives. There will be a particular focus on inequalities in mental and financial wellbeing - both existing ones exacerbated by the scheme, and novel ones generated under it - and the spatial dimensions which underpin these. Third, drawing upon the multiple different responses undertaken internationally by various governments, the final research strand will evaluate through quantitative analysis, the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches (based on their ability to mitigate growing inequality and mental health deterioration). With automation-related mass unemployment being a common theme in predictions of the future of work, evaluation and synthesis of the best-practice responses during the pandemic become a vital policy tool.