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This paper analyses the effect of imports on US manufacturing wages using the NLSY79 data‐set, estimating differential impacts on blue‐ and white‐collar wages. I find that rising imports put downward pressure on wages between 1979 and 1988. This correlation holds for both white‐ and blue‐collar workers, with a somewhat stronger impact on the latter group. Evidence suggests that imports from low‐wage countries are responsible for the negative relationship between imports and wages, but only for blue‐collar wages. A one‐percentage‐point increase in the low‐wage import share is associated with a 2.8% decline in blue‐collar wages.

The COVID pandemic that took the world economy by surprise at the beginning of 2020 brought many drastic changes to the way individuals carry on their daily lives. One that will have long lasting effects, even after the spread of the virus is contained, is a shift towards flexible work arrangements, including remote work options. Initially implemented to comply with government imposed stay-at-home orders, many employers decided to allow remote work even after the orders were lifted. In this chapter we will review some of the metrics used in the literature to measure the potential that a specific occupation is suitable for telework. This is important because Working From Home was often the only option for businesses to remain open during the first part of the pandemic. We also review the results of the literature on two important dimensions of inequality: the gender wage gap and income inequality, Moreover, we review some evidence of the effect of WFH on worker's productivity in general and during the pandemic and on physical and mental health. We conclude with a description of what WFH may look like after the pandemic, by describing the process towards a possible "new normal" in the labour market.