Nearly half of global workforce risk losing livelihoods in pandemic

"PROTECT THE VULNERABLE"

The ILO said prolonged lockdowns and office and plant closures are now expected to lead to an "even" worse fall in total working hours worldwide in the second quarter than what was forecast just three weeks ago.

Worst-hit sectors are manufacturing, accommodation and food services, wholesale and retail trade, and real estate and business activities.

Total working hours in the second quarter are expected to be 10.5 per cent lower, equivalent to 305 million full-time jobs, than the last pre-crisis quarter, the ILO said, with biggest declines forecast for the Americas, Europe and Central Asia.

The previous ILO estimate on April 7 was that disruptions would wipe out labour equivalent to the effort of 195 million workers, or 6.7% of hours clocked worldwide.

About 436 million enterprises - businesses or self-employed - face "high risks" of disruption, the agency added.

The long-term panorama was unclear.

"The eventual increase in global unemployment over 2020 will depend substantially on how the world economy fares in the second half of the year and how effectively policy measures will preserve existing jobs and boost labour demand once the recovery phase begins," it said.

As governments splurge unprecedented cash to counteract the crisis, the ILO urged them to speed procedures for unemployment benefits, extend support to independent workers, and fast-track small and informal businesses' access to credit and loans.

"As the pandemic and the jobs crisis evolve, the need to protect the most vulnerable becomes even more urgent," Ryder added.