Our #pandemicEX research project has now completed its second field period. In our newest wave, we surveyed a random sample of 504 US adults who work part- or full-time (fielded from March 17 to March 19). By comparing their responses to our first wave of results, fielded to 470 US workers two weeks prior, we can see that their concerns are rising. US workers experienced a dramatic and understandable rise in concern for themselves, both generally and at work.

Nearly Half Of Workers — 41% — Are Now Afraid To Go To Work, Compared With 29% Two Weeks Ago

  • Fifty-nine percent of workers are “afraid of the spread” of the coronavirus. This is only a slight increase from the 53% of people who expressed the same fear in the first week of March.
  • Two weeks ago, just 45% believed that the coronavirus would disrupt their work life, whether or not they came into direct personal contact with the virus itself. That number has now jumped to 72% in this latest wave, as more cities and states in the US have enacted travel restrictions and business closures.
  • This increase in fear has clearly shown up at work. The percentage who admit they “are afraid to go to work because of the risk of exposure” jumped from 29% two weeks ago to 41% in our second wave.(1)
We’ll be sharing more data each day this week as it becomes available. Also, be on the lookout for our first wave of European and Asia Pacific surveys, which we will report on starting next week.

Source:

(1) Forrester’s Q1 2020 US PandemicEX Survey 1 & 2.