1 in 5 workers in N.C. are in industries on the frontlines of COVID-19 response

The COVID-19 public health and economic crisis reminds us all that the workers we least often celebrate are ones who sustain our well-being and daily lives. Frontline workers are those people in our communities who are providing an essential or key public service, and not just during the coronavirus pandemic. These workers aren’t just doctors and nurses but home health aids, child-care workers, grocery store clerks, and custodians.  Preliminary data analyzed by CEPR provides a conservative estimate of the number of workers on the frontlines and who they are.  While the full range of workers  deemed essential in North Carolina is not included in this data, it shows the significant number of workers at greater risk of contracting COVID-19 because of their jobs that require direct human interaction and connection. It is clear that too many of workers lack health insurance coverage or earn wages that are too low for their work.