Full Or Partial Lockdown Now Affecting Almost 2.7 billion Workers: ILO

Full or partial lockdown measures is now affecting almost 2.7 billion workers, representing around 81 per cent of the world's workforce, the International Labour Organization (ILO) has said.

In the ILO Monitor 2nd edition, titled COVID-19 and the world of work Updated estimates and analysis, the report has said that in the current situation, businesses across a range of economic sectors are facing catastrophic losses, which threaten their operations and solvency, especially among smaller enterprises, while millions of workers are vulnerable to income loss and layoffs.

"The impact on income-generating activities is especially harsh for unprotected workers and the most vulnerable groups in the informal economy," it noted.

The final tally of annual job losses in 2020 will depend critically on the evolution of the pandemic and the measures taken to mitigate its impact, the ILO noted.

"For this reason, the ILO will continue to monitor the situation and regularly update its estimate of working hours lost and equivalent employment loss. The majority of job losses and declining working hours will occur in hardest-hit sectors. The ILO estimates that 1.25 billion workers, representing almost 38 per cent of the global workforce, are employed in sectors that are now facing a severe decline in output and a high risk of workforce displacement. Key sectors include retail trade, accommodation and food services, and manufacturing," it stated