A year and a half after the March 2020 lockdown, this note on the general situation provides a first assessment of the social impact of the health crisis in Paris.
A process of observation of the social impact of the crisis in Paris was launched at the beginning of 2021 with the aim of analysing, foreseeing and coordinating responses within the Parisian territory.
Several quantitative and qualitative tools have been used, including a statistical panorama of a hundred or so indicators drawn from a dozen or so sources. This first note on the current situation presents the results of some of the statistical data exploited, put into perspective alongside feedback from those involved in different social fields.
Organised in four parts, the note first deals with the effects of the economic crisis on employment and the professional integration of Parisians. One can see the extreme economic effects since the first lockdown in March 2020.
It then focuses on the impact of the management of the crisis generated by the pandemic and lockdowns since March 2020. Although 2020 was a year marked by the closing down of public services and associations working on the crisis and emergency management, it was also a time when new practises in reception and accompaniment emerged.
It also looks at the immediately identifiable social impacts, isolating an the one hand, effects linked to lockdown and restrictions (less work, partial unemployment, distance social support services, refocusing on emergencies, etc.), and on the other hand, effects which could be more long-term on the economy and employment, claiming rights and even the social link and mental health.
Finally, it highlights signs of possibly delayed social effects, encouraging a preventive approach that anticipates the risks and needs. The exceptional protection measures and rights being maintained put in place since March 2020 have acted as a security net for the most precarious. The lifting of them raises questions about the social effects being possibly more severe in the months to come, and encourages the maintenance of this observation approach in the medium and long term.
