Editions

COVID-19 is causing the economy to change much faster than usual. To capture these rapid changes, a team of researchers has developed new economic indicators based on Google search trends. The indicator for the perceived economic situation has fallen more sharply in recent weeks than during the financial crisis. Some indicators of private consumption have already reached pre-crisis levels, while others have not yet recovered.

The measures taken to slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic also aim to reduce social interaction. What influence do these measures have on the mobility behaviour of the Swiss? KOF researchers have developed an indicator that constantly shows this. According to the indicator, mobility has continued to increase in recent days, having reached its lowest level at the end of March. However, it is still far from its normal state.