Long COVID and financial hardships among workers: Evidence from the California Health Interview Survey, 2022-2023

Objective: We used California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) data to examine relationships between long COVID and financial hardship among California workers. Methods: We analyzed cross-sectional 2022-2023 CHIS adult survey data. Long COVID was defined as symptoms lasting two or more months among employed adults who previously had COVID-19. Logistic regression assessed associations between long COVID and financial hardship. Results: Approximately 30% of workers who ever had COVID-19 reported long COVID symptoms in 2022 (30%; CI: 28.3-31.7%) and 2023 (29%; CI: 27.7-30.4%). Farming and Service occupation groups had the highest long COVID prevalence. Workers with long COVID had higher odds of experiencing financial hardship in both years. Conclusions: These findings underscore the need for COVID-19 workplace protections, accommodations for workers impacted by long COVID, and ongoing assessment of COVID-19’s workforce impacts.