Small businesses have experienced a historic negative impact due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Besides the shock to consumers’ willingness to patron businesses due to fear of contagion, state-level shutdowns have taken a tremendous toll on the nation’s smallest firms. With deep and acute drops in revenue, small employers have been forced to resort to layoffs and employee furloughs in a primal for survival. To mitigate the economic damage done to small businesses due to these demand shocks, the federal government has unveiled various programs intended to specifically address the ailing health of small firms including the Paycheck Protection Program and the Emergency Injury Disaster Loan program. This webinar will provide an overview of the recent economic performance of the small business sector during this time of pandemic and reflect upon the rollout and initial efficaciousness of government programs designed to keep small firms afloat until the economic recovery commences.

Michael J. Chow is Lead Data Analyst and Economist at the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Research Center. He has previously worked for the Office of Economic Policy and Analysis at the Department of Labor and for the President’s Council of Economic Advisers. His work with NFIB has been referenced in testimony before federal and state policymakers and in major news publications including the Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Bloomberg, Investor’s Business Daily, Politico, the Los Angeles Times, the Baltimore Sun, CNN, ABC, Fox News, and the Business Journals, among others. He received an M.A. in Applied Economics from the Johns Hopkins University, an M.Sc. in Econometrics and Mathematical Economics from the London School of Economics, and a B.S.E. in Electrical Engineering from Princeton University.

REGISTRATION IS OPEN! A link to the webinar will be sent prior to the event (by 2pm, 4/29) to those who sign up. Registration will be open until 2pm, Wednesday, April 29, 2020. Any questions should be directed to manager@national-economists.org.