Young people will disproportionally bear the brunt of the novel coronavirus crisis, with over one in six individuals having become unemployed since the onset of the pandemic, the United Nations' International Labor Organization (ILO) said in a report on Wednesday
UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 27th May, 2020) Young people will disproportionally bear the brunt of the novel coronavirus crisis, with over one in six individuals having become unemployed since the onset of the pandemic, the United Nations' International Labor Organization (ILO) said in a report on Wednesday.
"The most recent figures show that young people are disproportionately affected by the COVID 19 crisis, with multiple shocks including disruption to education and training, employment and income losses, and greater difficulties in finding a job," the report said. "Over one in six young people surveyed have stopped working since the onset of the COVID 19 crisis."
ILO warned about a risk of the emergence of a so-called lockdown generation that will enter the labor market during the economic recession caused by the measures implemented to fight the novel coronavirus.
The young people might be facing the devastating effects of protracted unemployment for a decade or so, ILO said.
ILO pointed out that the largest decline in working hours is expected to be seen in the Americas, reaching 13.1 percent in the second quarter of the year. In Europe and Central Asia, that drop is estimated at 12.9 percent and above 9.5 percent for other regions.
To prevent the youth from becoming a "lockdown generation," governments should urgently implement large-scale employment policy responses, including employment and training guarantee programs, ILO said.
