The corona virus outbreak now seems likely to trigger a recession. But a senior economist in Kalamazoo said there are ways to reduce the long-term impact.
Tim Bartik at the Upjohn Employment Research Institute says one is what's known as "labor hoarding." It encourages businesses to keep people on the payroll during the pandemic.
"What I'm trying to add to the mix is some discussion of maybe giving employers a credit for those companies that do, in fact, maintain employment and payroll at about the level they had prior to this disease hitting the economy."
Bartik said he hopes state and federal officials are open to ideas that might not have been approved before.