The impact of the coronavirus on our economy and society, two years on – views from experts

Two years on: We asked a diverse mix of experts to reflect on their opinions of the economic implications of the coronavirus pandemic from June 2020.

In our June 2020 commentary, at the height of the Covid-19 lockdown and cases continuing to rise we asked a group of experts from across the Scottish economy to share their views on the current economic implications of the coronavirus pandemic and how our economy and society may be impacted in the future.
At the time, we asked our experts three questions:
■ How do you view the immediate outlook for the economy over the next 12 months?
■ What permanent changes to our economy do you see emerging from the crisis?
■ What should be the key area for policymakers to focus on at this time?
Two years on, and we've asked some of our experts to reflect on their opinions from that time and answer three key questions:
■ Did the economy evolve during 2020 and 2021 as you were expecting?
■ Do you see the changes in the economy emerging that you felt were likely two years ago?
■ Given where we are, what should be the key area for policymakers to focus on at this time?