We analyze the task-content of occupations operating in about 600 sectors of the economy with a focus on the dimensions that expose workers to contagion risks during the COVID-19 epidemic. We do so in the Italian context, leveraging extremely detailed and granular information from ICP, the Italian equivalent of O*Net (the survey that describes the task content of US occupations). We find that several sectors need physical proximity to operate, mainly in services and retail trade. Workers at risk of complications from COVID-19 (mainly males above the age of 50) are concentrated in sectors characterized by little physical proximity or where working from home is feasible. We then study the sectoral lockdowns put in place by the Italian Government in March 2020. We find that governmental restrictions hit the sectors where the risk of contagion in the workplace was more widespread: the effect is stronger for proximity to the public than that with co-workers. The share of workers who have the possibility to work from home is higher in sectors that were not forced to close. The evidence we provide is useful to identify which activities pose larger risks for contagion among workers in the workplace and where to reinforce safety measures.

我们分析了大约 600 个经济部门的职业的任务内容，重点关注在 COVID-19 流行期间使工人面临传染风险的维度。我们在意大利语境中这样做，利用来自 ICP 的极其详细和细粒度的信息，ICP 相当于意大利的 O*Net（描述美国职业任务内容的调查）。我们发现有几个部门需要在物理上接近才能运营，主要是服务和零售贸易。面临 COVID-19 并发症风险的工人（主要是 50 岁以上的男性）集中在身体接触很少或在家工作可行的部门。然后，我们研究了意大利政府于 2020 年 3 月实施的部门封锁。我们发现，政府限制打击了工作场所传染风险更广泛的部门：与公众接触的影响比与同事接触的影响更大。在没有被迫关闭的部门中，有可能在家工作的工人比例更高。我们提供的证据有助于确定哪些活动对工作场所工人之间的传染构成更大的风险，以及在何处加强安全措施。