As COVID-19 has spread throughout the world, there has been an inevitable interest in compliance with the numerous measures introduced to slow the spread of the virus.  There has been considerable concern that unless people do not lose out financially from staying at home, they will go to work, even if expressing symptoms, which will result in the faster spread of the virus.

This fear has been reaffirmed by new research from Washington State University, which highlights how job and financial insecurity results in people being less likely to follow official guidelines, including not making unnecessary trips and social distancing.  Perhaps unsurprisingly, the researchers also found a clear link between government policies, especially around unemployment benefits, and compliance.

“We all have a finite set of resources at our disposal, whether it’s money, time or social support, and individuals who have fewer of those resources appear less able to enact the CDC-recommended guidelines,” the researchers say. “The extent to which economic stressors will impact that behavior is in part a function of where we live. Having a fall back, a strong safety net to catch you, seemed to help mitigate the risk factors of job insecurity that was otherwise associated with less adherence to the guidelines.”

Safety nets

The study found that in states where unemployment benefits were lower, and therefore job insecurity was greater, there was a corresponding 7% decline in COVID compliance.  Indeed, even when mandates were imposed, they tended to benefit the financially secure more than those in precarious situations.

For instance, those in financially secure situations were 13% more likely to follow guidelines than their peers in insecure circumstances.  It’s a gap that the researchers believe could have a significant impact on the success of the public health measures.

“It’s important to acknowledge as a society that there are certain segments of the population, namely the economically secure, that are better equipped to follow the CDC recommendations to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” they explain. “This is a red flag since precarious work and financial strain can also co-occur with other COVID-19 risk factors and pre-existing health disparities.”