While the world moves on from the pandemic, immunocompromised individuals like Landenberg resident Chuck Lage continue to avoid pre-pandemic activities, including work, writes Josh Mitchell for the Wall Street Journal. 

After 63-year-old Lage was laid off in the spring of 2020, he took an early retirement to avoid getting sick. He has common variable immunodeficiency (CVID), which prevents his body from making antibodies to fight infection. 

Lage connected on Facebook with many people who share his condition.

He discovered that many adults, who may have an immunodeficiency disorder or otherwise, have dropped out of the workforce altogether and have no plans to return any time soon — a phenomenon termed “long social distancing.” 

“The world is moving on,” Lage said. “We’re not able to yet.”

According to a survey, about 3.5 million people are missing from the workforce. Currently, employers struggling to find workers raised their wages, which spiked inflation rates a record 8.5 percent. 

“Our evidence is the labor force isn’t going to magically bounce back,” said Nicholas Bloom, a Stanford University economist. “We still don’t see any change in these long social distancing numbers, which suggests this drop in labor-force participation may be quite enduring.”

As people like Lage continue to stay out of the workforce and avoid pre-pandemic activities, the fate of the economy and labor market remain uncertain in the coming years. 

Read more about Chuck Lage in the Wall Street Journal.