The Covid-19 pandemic will compound economic inequality across Irish society as frontline groups report rising poverty levels before and during the public health crisis. Emeritus Professor of Equality Studies at UCD Kathleen Lynch, one of several speakers at a webinar on Monday night, told the Irish Examiner that despite some reports of economic recovery, inequality levels were rising and certain to worsen in the wake of the pandemic. We still have huge inequalities,” Prof Lynch said, adding that metrics used to monitor economic inequality, such as the Gini coefficient, only capture income and do not look at wealth or access to public services, such as health and childcare. People are going to be extremely vulnerable when the Pandemic Unemployment Payment ends. Those who are most vulnerable, including many low-paid female workers, lone parents, and people with disabilities are likely to be hardest hit, Prof Lynch said.

Source: Irish Examiner March 02, 2021 06:30 UTC