The disconnect is yet more proof of the k-shaped recovery , in which some Americans are experiencing major improvements while others are still suffering. CEOs think the outlook for wages has improved and the potential for layoffs is lower. Also, 82% of CEOs expect the economy to improve over the next six months, a jump from 63%. Economists fear the effects of long-term unemployment on the economy; the longer workers are out of a job, the less likely they are to return to work at all. Meanwhile, many of those who have returned to work have seen their hours or wages cut, or perhaps both, as the pandemic economy exacerbates America's inequities.

Source: CNN February 18, 2021 20:03 UTC