The coronavirus has not only affected Hispanics and African Americans in the United States much more in terms of the number of patients, but also in terms of economic repercussions, a survey by The Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research revealed.
The study found that 61% of Hispanic Americans have suffered economic repercussions as a result of the outbreak, such as job losses, unpaid absences, cut wages, or reduced hours. That number compares to 46% of Americans overall. 37% of Hispanics and 27% of blacks have been unable to pay at least one of their bills as a result of the crisis. Among whites the percentage is 17%.
“If our policies do not adequately address these racial gaps and disparities in income, prosperity, employment and wages, we will see the same trends that we have seen historically,” observed Valerie Wilson, director of the Economic and Ethnic Studies program at the Economic Policy Institute.
“Those families will take much longer to recover, if they can fully recover,” he added.
The poll, conducted in mid-April, found that 21% of Hispanics have been unable to pay their mortgage or rent and 23% have been unable to pay a credit card. This compared to 8% in both lines among the general American population. Among blacks, the percentage that has failed to pay one of those types of bills is 15%.
Although the loss of income has affected all layers of society, layoffs have been particularly concentrated between the lower income levels and less education. 28% of Americans without a college degree say that a resident of their home has lost a job, compared to 19% among the population with higher education.
Aside from suffering a stronger economic impact, members of ethnic minorities are more likely to meet someone who has contracted the coronavirus. Among the general population, that percentage is 12% while among blacks it is 21%.
A separate analysis of the AP, derived from data from state and local entities, found that nearly a third of COVID-19 deaths were African-American, despite comprising 14% of the study population.
Most Americans support the restrictions imposed to contain the spread of the virus and are personally taking precautionary measures, the survey indicates.
95% say they are washing their hands more frequently and avoiding crowds. Among African Americans, the percentage of those who say they are wearing protective masks is higher: 83% compared to 64% for whites and 67% for Hispanics.
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