RCPP study: CHamoru women, tourism industry most affected by pandemic in Guam
One in five Guam residents had their lives disrupted last year by the COVID-19 pandemic through loss of employment, inability to provide enough food for their families, and inability to settle household expenses.
Similarly, one in four businesses had to temporarily or permanently close — with tourism businesses being hit the hardest as far as revenue loss, layoffs, closures, reliance on grants and loans, and diminished plans for growth.
These findings are detailed in two University of Guam reports — “Guam Recovery Research Project: The Impact of COVID-19 on Guam Residents and Business” and “Guam Recovery Research Project: The Impact of COVID-19 on Guam’s Private Businesses and Tourism” — released today from the Regional Center for Public Policy under the School of Business and Public Administration.
“This is important data to have documented as the island starts to recover from the pandemic,” said RCPP Director Dr. John Rivera. “As public and private sector leaders move forward with plans and policies to get lives and businesses back on track, it’s essential they can make data-driven decisions and see who is most in need of assistance. Additionally, this data will provide a baseline to measure how well our people and our businesses recover over the next two years.”
The reports were based off of surveys in November of 702 randomly selected residents, a review of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance applications, and surveys of 413 randomly selected local businesses from the 2020 listing of business licenses.
Key highlights of the residential impact report include:
Key highlights of the business impact report include:
UOG Professor Roseann Jones, who holds a doctorate in economics, led the research with support from Market Research & Development Inc. and student interns. Funding support was provided by Cares Act funds through the Office of Governor of Guam.
Both reports are viewable at https://url.uog.edu/rcpp and www.guamrecovery.com.