ILO: Coronavirus pandemic will affect over 80% of the workforce

The total or partial shutdown of companies due to the coronavirus pandemic will affect 2.7 billion able-bodied people worldwide, ie. 81% of the world’s workforce, the International Labor Organization (ILO) said.

Many countries have begun to take measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus, including a curfew, border closure, and suspension of training. All this has hit the business and increased the unemployment rate.

In the context of a pandemic, some companies are forced to cease operations and others to revise their work schedules. Increasing global unemployment in 2020 will depend primarily on how the pandemic develops in the future and what measures will be taken to curb it, according to DPA experts.

The negative effects of the pandemic will be felt by 2.7 billion of the 3.3 billion able-bodied people worldwide, equivalent to 81% of the workforce, the ILO stresses.

The COVID-19 pandemic crisis will lead to a reduction in working hours around the world in the second quarter of 2020.

The least impact will be on education, health, social services, public services, defense, and infrastructure sectors.