Sunday, January 31, 2021

Association Between Receipt of Unemployment Insurance and Food Insecurity Among People Who Lost Employment During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States

JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4(1):e2035884. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.35884
Key Points

Question  Was the receipt of unemployment insurance and a $600/wk federal supplement to unemployment insurance associated with reduced food insecurity among people in low- and middle-income households who lost work during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic?

Findings  In this cohort study of 1119 adults who lost work during the COVID-19 pandemic, unemployment insurance was associated with a 35% relative decline in food insecurity and a 48% relative decline in eating less due to financial constraints. The $600/wk federal supplement was associated with additional reductions in food insecurity.

Meaning  These findings suggest that expanding the amount and duration of unemployment insurance may be an effective approach to reducing food insecurity.

Abstract

Importance  More than 50 million US residents have lost work during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and food insecurity has increased.

Objective  To evaluate the association between receipt of unemployment insurance, including a $600/wk federal supplement between April and July, and food insecurity among people who lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design, Setting, and Participants  This cohort study used difference-in-differences analysis of longitudinal data from a nationally representative sample of US adults residing in low- and middle-income households (ie, <$75 000 annual income) who lost work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were from 15 waves of the Understanding Coronavirus in America study (conducted April 1 to November 11, 2020).

Exposure  Receipt of unemployment insurance benefits.

Main Outcomes and Measures  Food insecurity and eating less due to financial constraints, assessed every 2 weeks by self-report.

Results  Of 2319 adults living in households earning less than $75 000 annually and employed in February 2020, 1119 (48.3%) experienced unemployment during the COVID-19 pandemic and made up our main sample (588 [53.6%] White individuals; mean [SD] age 45 [15] years; 732 [65.4%] women). Of those who lost employment, 415 (37.1%) reported food insecurity and 437 (39.1%) reported eating less due to financial constraints in 1 or more waves of the study. Among people who lost work, receipt of unemployment insurance was associated with a 4.3 (95% CI, 1.8-6.9) percentage point decrease in food insecurity (a 35.0% relative reduction) and a 5.7 (95% CI, 3.0-8.4) percentage point decrease in eating less due to financial constraints (a 47.8% relative reduction). Decreases in food insecurity were larger with the $600/wk supplement and for individuals who were receiving larger amounts of unemployment insurance.

Conclusions and Relevance  In this US national cohort study, receiving unemployment insurance was associated with large reductions in food insecurity among people who lost employment during the COVID-19 pandemic. The $600/wk federal supplement and larger amounts of unemployment insurance were associated with larger reductions in food insecurity.

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Association Between Receipt of Unemployment Insurance and Food Insecurity Among People Who Lost Employment During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States | Health Disparities | JAMA Network Open | JAMA Network

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