COVID-19 Pandemic May Put 1.6 Billion People's Jobs At Risk Globally: UN Labour Body

The International Labour Organization (ILO) on Wednesday, April 29, said that nearly half of the entire global workforce is in immediate danger of having their livelihoods destroyed by the coronavirus pandemic. These include informal workers like domestic helps, agricultural workers, and street vendors.

"1.6 billion people stand in line to suffer. Massive damage to their ability to earn a living," NDTV quoted ILO's director-general Guy Ryder as saying.

"For millions of workers, no income means no food, no security, and no future. As the pandemic and jobs crisis evolves, the need to protect the most vulnerable becomes even more urgent," he added.

The UN agency reported that sharp decline in working hours meant that these workers were in "immediate danger of having their livelihoods destroyed."

However, the ILO's third report on the coronavirus crisis stated that the strongest impact of COVID-19 will be on the labour market. Apart from this, the worst-affected sectors would be accommodation and food services, manufacturing, wholesale, retail trade, real estate, and business activities.

About 2 million workforces contribute to the "informal economy", which has already suffered a 60% collapse in their wages in the initial month of the pandemic. However, in countries like Africa and America, a 70 percent drop in income has been observed.

ILO said that the international coordination on stimulus packages and debt relief measures are critical for making recovery effective and sustainable.

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