Myanmar’s workforce shrank by 1.1 million men and women from pre-Covid-19 and pre-coup times, two and a half years into the global pandemic and 18 months after the military’s takeover on February 1, 2021, according to estimates by the United Nations’ International Labour Organisation (ILO).
The ILO released these new estimates assessing the impact of the pandemic and the coup d’etat that toppled Myanmar’s democratically-elected government.
The quality of jobs deteriorated, too, with workers in key sectors such as the garment industry facing more casual work, irregular working hours and lower pay, the ILO said. Women are also more affected than men in general.
Declining productivity
Labour productivity also declined during the first half of 2022, according to the UN agency, contracting a further two per cent after an eight-per cent contraction in the previous year.
The job figures nonetheless mark an improvement on the ILO’s last estimate in January, when the labour agency found that the country had lost 1.6 million jobs throughout 2021.
In 2020, Myanmar had a total labour force of slightly more than 23 million, World Bank data shows.
Difficult situation: ILO
“Eighteen months on from the military takeover, the employment situation in Myanmar remains very difficult,” ILO liaison officer for Myanmar, Donglin Li, said.
“While there are limited signs of job growth, the ongoing erosion of labour conditions and the decrease in job quality is deeply concerning.”
Return to small growth
However, the World Bank on July 21 has predicted that the Southeast Asian country’s economy will grow three per cent this year, after shrinking 18 per cent in 2021, noting that despite severe constraints, economic activity has picked up in some areas over the last twelve months, “demonstrating the adaptability of Myanmar’s businesses.”
But the outlook remains weak and is subject to substantial risks.
“Myanmar last year experienced one of the worst economic contractions in the world, and the limited growth we forecast this year leaves its economic recovery far behind other countries,” World Bank Country director for Myanmar, Mariam Sherman, said.
Myanmar’s workforce shrank by 1.1 million men and women from pre-Covid-19 and pre-coup times, two and a half years into the global pandemic and 18 months after the military’s takeover on February 1, 2021, according to estimates by the United Nations’ International Labour Organisation (ILO). The ILO released these new estimates assessing the impact of the pandemic and the coup d’etat that toppled Myanmar’s democratically-elected government. The quality of jobs deteriorated, too, with workers in key sectors such as the garment industry facing more casual work, irregular working hours and lower pay, the ILO said. Women are also more affected…
Myanmar’s workforce shrank by 1.1 million men and women from pre-Covid-19 and pre-coup times, two and a half years into the global pandemic and 18 months after the military’s takeover on February 1, 2021, according to estimates by the United Nations’ International Labour Organisation (ILO).
The ILO released these new estimates assessing the impact of the pandemic and the coup d’etat that toppled Myanmar’s democratically-elected government.
The quality of jobs deteriorated, too, with workers in key sectors such as the garment industry facing more casual work, irregular working hours and lower pay, the ILO said. Women are also more affected than men in general.
Declining productivity
Labour productivity also declined during the first half of 2022, according to the UN agency, contracting a further two per cent after an eight-per cent contraction in the previous year.
The job figures nonetheless mark an improvement on the ILO’s last estimate in January, when the labour agency found that the country had lost 1.6 million jobs throughout 2021.
In 2020, Myanmar had a total labour force of slightly more than 23 million, World Bank data shows.
Difficult situation: ILO
“Eighteen months on from the military takeover, the employment situation in Myanmar remains very difficult,” ILO liaison officer for Myanmar, Donglin Li, said.
“While there are limited signs of job growth, the ongoing erosion of labour conditions and the decrease in job quality is deeply concerning.”
Return to small growth
However, the World Bank on July 21 has predicted that the Southeast Asian country’s economy will grow three per cent this year, after shrinking 18 per cent in 2021, noting that despite severe constraints, economic activity has picked up in some areas over the last twelve months, “demonstrating the adaptability of Myanmar’s businesses.”
But the outlook remains weak and is subject to substantial risks.
“Myanmar last year experienced one of the worst economic contractions in the world, and the limited growth we forecast this year leaves its economic recovery far behind other countries,” World Bank Country director for Myanmar, Mariam Sherman, said.
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