  Social distancing interventions can be effective against epidemics but are
potentially detrimental for the economy. Businesses that rely heavily on
face-to-face communication or close physical proximity when producing a product
or providing a service are particularly vulnerable. There is, however, no
systematic evidence about the role of human interactions across different lines
of business and about which will be the most limited by social distancing. Here
we provide theory-based measures of the reliance of U.S. businesses on human
interaction, detailed by industry and geographic location. We find that 49
million workers work in occupations that rely heavily on face-to-face
communication or require close physical proximity to other workers. Our model
suggests that when businesses are forced to reduce worker contacts by half,
they need a 12 percent wage subsidy to compensate for the disruption in
communication. Retail, hotels and restaurants, arts and entertainment and
schools are the most affected sectors. Our results can help target fiscal
assistance to businesses that are most disrupted by social distancing.
