The COVID-19 Economy (Video)

By Joaquim Salles

The pandemic has wreaked havoc on the economy, leaving millions of Americans out of a job. In just one month, unemployment has risen from historic lows to levels not seen since the Great Depression. Amid the economic fallout, some business leaders and politicians are eager to reopen the country as soon as possible — but at what cost? We spoke to David Weil, an economist at Brown University, to understand the cost-benefit analysis behind easing social distancing measures.

This video originally appeared in The New York City Lens, a digital publication produced by students in the City Newsroom class at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.