COVID-19 pandemic has ravaged job markets in Asia Pacific region

Many employed in the tourism and manufacturing sectors have lost their jobs but still maintain their attachment to their jobs. Even those who work in the informal sectors are experiencing reduced working hours that result in reduced labour income of 10 per cent in the Asia Pacific region in the first three quarters of 2020. The highest is in the South Asian region where income loss is estimated to be 18 per cent where 20-25 million people are badly affected, said Sara Elder, Senior Economist at the ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific at the launch of an ILO report at a webinar discussion held recently in Bangkok.

Referring to Sri Lanka, she said there is a steady increase in unemployment but in the third quarter it will go down. She said Thailand has provided assistance to those in the informal sector impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

However some governments have provided subsidies to industries to prevent job losses in the region. Some 81 million jobs have been lost as the COVID-19 pandemic creates turmoil in the Asia Pacific labour markets, leading to a huge reduction in working hours and pushing millions of people into poverty. As job creation has collapsed millions of people have been pushed into unemployment.

Senior Economitst ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Christian Viegelahn answering questions said that Thailand is extremely dependant on the tourism sector with an overall decline in unemployment at a level of 70 per cent.

Unemployment seem to increase in the Asia Pacific region in the third quarter. Referring to Bangladesh, he said data has not been developed for unemployment estimates by the ILO although some data is available for some countries. Complete recovery from COVID-19 will take a few more years following the vaccination process launched in the region.

ILO Assistant Director General and Re gional Director for Asia and the Pacific Chihoko Asada Miyakawa said in 2018 the job growth in the region was strong although the robust economy did not translate to improve the working conditions of men and women workers. The ILO report points out how the COVID-19 pandemic had impacted the hard working men and women workers in the region and how governments are going to cope in the future.