Nearly half of the entire global workforce is in immediate danger of having their livelihoods destroyed by the coronavirus ( COVID-19 )pandemic, the International Labour Organization (ILO) warned on Wednesday.
COVID-19 pandemic could cost millions of jobs in global tourism industry: UN body
The ILO said the risk fell on those workers in the informal economy, and three-quarters of them, some 1.6 billion people were at risk in the second quarter of 2020. The UN agency said an expected further sharp decline in working hours meant that these workers were in “immediate danger of having their livelihoods destroyed”. In its third report on the coronavirus crisis and the world of work, the ILO warned of the impact on the most vulnerable in the labour market, who are often in the hardest-hit sectors. The 1.6 billion people stand in line to suffer “massive damage to their ability to earn a living,” said ILO director-general Guy Ryder.
Post-pandemic, India’s tourism sector stares at 70% job loss
The ILO said the global workforce was 3.3 billion people, of which more than two billion worked in the informal economy — in jobs characterised by a lack of basic protections, no possibility to work from home and no income replacement during the lockdown. It said that almost 1.6 billion informal economy workers, accounting for 76% of informal employment, were significantly impacted by lockdown measures.
The ILO said the worst-affected sectors would be accommodation and food services, manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, and real estate and business activities.
Data | The lockdown effect on jobs in India
