On July 2, Orley Ashenfelter, the Joseph Douglas Green 1895 Professor of Economics, participated in a panel discussion organized by the American Bar Association's Competition Torts Committee.  The newsletter article about this discussion states that "...this topic is particularly timely given the current global pandemic, which has reinforced the importance of nurses and other healthcare professionals and reignited discussion about nurse wages, benefits, and working conditions."

The article concludes,"Professor Ashenfelter described some of the overall shocks from COVID-19 on the labor market generally.  While unemployment has risen, wages for those who remained employed for the first half of the year are stable.  As for nurses, an increase in wages for temporary nurses—essentially “hazard pay” for nurses sought to deploy to pandemic hotspots—may positively shock demand.  Panelists and audience members alike will be watching as the pandemic continues to unfold, and data on these issues continue to emerge."

Read the full ABA Section of Antitrust Law - Competition Torts Committee Summer 2020 Newsletter.

An audio recording of the webcast: Information Exchanges: Antitrust, RICO, and Tort Theories of Liability - July 2, 2020 is available to ABA members.