Technology use, work adaptation, and economic vulnerability during COVID‐19

Abstract

We explore how technology use helped to cope with the stresses of social distancing during the pandemic contributing insights about the impact of work adaptation enabled by technology on economic vulnerability and resilience. Using a three-wave survey conducted across 10 states in the United States, we found evidence that a high level of technology use was linked to a greater chance of maintaining employment during the pandemic. We evaluate job retention as a function of an index based on the prevalence of information technology (IT) usage in the workplace and psychological and somatic well-being, controlling for technology use outside of the workplace, and socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. © 2023 The Southern Economic Association.