Job ads can be seen in this picture illustration taken September 10, 2018. REUTERS Ramzi Boudina Illustration File Photo
The International Labour Organization said on Monday that the global job market will take longer to recover than previously thought, with unemployment set to remain above pre-COVID 19 levels until at least 2023 due to uncertainty about the pandemic's course and duration.
The U.N. agency estimates the equivalent of around 52 million fewer jobs in 2022 compared to pre-COVID levels, which is about double its previous estimate from June 2021.
There are still 27 million fewer jobs to be affected by the disruptions in the World Employment and Social Outlook report for 2023, warning of a slow and uncertain recovery in its 2022 World Employment and Social Outlook report.
The report said that the return to pre-pandemic performance is likely to be elusive for much of the world over the next few years, because the global labour market outlook has deteriorated since the ILO's last projections.
Director-General Guy Ryder told journalists that there were numerous factors behind its revision, but he said the primary one is the continuing pandemic and its variants, notably Omicron. The report states that the European and North American regions show the most encouraging signs of recovery, while Southeast Asia and South America are lagging behind.
The projected deficit in working hours this year represents an improvement over the past two years. In 2021, the ILO estimates that there were 125 million fewer jobs than pre-pandemic levels and 258 million fewer in 2020.
In 2022, around 207 million people are estimated to be unemployed. The report said that the impact would be much larger since many people left the labour force and have yet to return.
There are a high number of women, many of whom have been drawn into unpaid work at home, such as teaching children during school closures or caring for sick family members.
The report predicted that the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on women's employment would narrow in the coming years, but that a sizeable gap would remain.
There are some anecdotal indications that they are not coming back in the same numbers and in the same portions as men are doing, which would lead to concerns that a 'Long COVID' effect on gender at work would be a negative one, said Ryder.
Some economists call this the great resignation Ryder said that this appeared to be more prominent in areas of the economy such as health and caregiving.
He said that we need to look again and invest more in those areas of economic activity.