US

Most Economists Favor COVID-19 Vaccine Passports, Mandates

No featured image available

Most economists think businesses should impose COVID-19 vaccine mandates on their employees, according to a survey released Monday.

The survey, conducted this month by the National Association for Business Economics (NABE) of its 227 members, found that 79% were in favor of employers requiring employees to be vaccinated before returning to the workplace, with only 14% opposing the policy. The study also found that 69% of NABE members were in favor of the government providing documents that individuals would carry as proof of COVID-19 vaccination, with only 22% percent opposed.

The NABE report comes as many of the largest U.S. companies begin to institute COVID-19 vaccine mandates for employees.

Tech companies Google and Facebook said in July that all in-person workers need to get a vaccine, and meat processing company Tyson Foods announced a vaccine mandate for all employees earlier this month. Walmart unveiled a vaccine mandate for office workers in July, and United Airlines in August became the first major U.S. airline to require its employees to be vaccinated.

Several cities also require proof of vaccination for admission to certain indoor businesses.

New York City requires proof of vaccination for entry into bars, restaurants, gyms, and indoor concert venues, and San Francisco’s Mayor London Breed announced a similar policy earlier this month.

A Gallup poll conducted in July reflected that 52% of workers favor employers requiring their employees to be vaccinated, an increase from just 46% of workers supporting such policies in May.