Millions of Americans are struggling with long-term health complications linked to COVID-19 that could worsen the nation's labor shortage, according to an Aug. 1 analysis from Kaiser Family Foundation.
The exact prevalence of long COVID-19 is still unclear, but KFF estimates that 10 to 33 million working-age adults may have long-term side effects such as malaise, fatigue or difficulty concentrating.
Preliminary research suggests long COVID-19 may have significant implications for employment, KFF said. A study published last July in eClinicalMedicine found 22 percent of people with long COVID-19 were not working because of their condition. In 2019, just 7 percent of all working-age adults were out of work, federal data shows.
"Given the sheer number of working age adults with long COVID, the employment implications may be profound and are likely to affect more people over time. One study estimates that long COVID already accounts for 15 percent of unfilled jobs," KFF said.
Read the full analysis here.