Abstract
We study how a market uses temporary workers to accommodate extraordinary demand shocks. When COVID-19 surges, hospitals need additional nurses—especially in specialties central to COVID-19 care. By comparing markets for COVID-relevant and other specialties, we show that the market for travel nurses expands dramatically and estimate travel nurse labor supply across space. Supply is quite elastic, as workers can choose to travel where they are needed. Workers travel longer distances to temporary jobs when payment increases, suggesting that an integrated national market facilitates reallocation when demand spikes. But when national cases peak, travel distance is less responsive to local demand.
This content is only available as a PDF.
© 2024 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2024
The President and Fellows of Harvard College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
You do not currently have access to this content.