Heavy job losses in Gulf states, North Africa and Central America in May
Though at the margins of the corona-pandemic in terms of casualties and infections, respondents from states in the Gulf region, North Africa and Central America report heavy job losses. It seems therefore that the lockdown has much wider and deeper repercussions on the economy and prospects of recovery than was foreseen at the time of its imposition.
First reports from the Gulf indicate that 1 in 3 (Saudi Arabia) and even 1 in 2 workers (Qatar, UAE) have lost their job, all in May. From 4 countries in the Maghreb, i.e. Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco, also very high job loss indications are coming in. Indications range from 18 (Tunisia) to 46 (Morocco) percent of respondents, with Egypt and Algeria covering the
middle ground, where 1 in 3 respondents report having lost their job in the last month. A similar range of reported job losses is emerging from Central America, between 1 in 5 respondents having lost their job in Nicaragua, up to 1 in 2 Honduran respondents saying so. In stark contrast, the job loss figures from almost all European countries, including hotbeds of
the pandemic like the UK, Italy, Spain, France and Belgium, remain relatively low and stable. Thus, in hardly any EU-member state, job loss reports exceed 10%. Only Malta and Ireland indicate levels up to 15%, i.e. 1 in 7 respondents saying that they lost their job as a result of corona emergency measures. All other EU-countries remain steady around 7%.
It should be noted that indications are tentative. Up to the end of May 16000 respondents from 70 countries participated in the 24/7 online corona-survey, which was launched on March 23.
Quote of the day, nurse, female, 24, Ghana
It is very tough and I'm bankrupt
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