According to the International Labour Organization (ILO) monitor dubbed COVID-19 and The World of Work: Fourth Edition, Africa lost least working hours at 9.5 per cent compared to other regions in the world, an indication of continued activities despite coronavirus red flag. The monitor updates the estimate for the decline in working hours in the first and second quarters of 2020, compared with the fourth quarter of 2019. An estimated 4.8 per cent of working hours were lost during Q1 2020, equivalent to approximately 135 million full-time jobs, assuming a 48-hour working week. This represents a slight upward revision of around seven million jobs since the third edition of the monitor. Furthermore, the report showed that more than one in six young people has stopped working since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic while those who remain employed have seen their working hours cut by 23 per cent.

Source: The Star May 29, 2020 06:56 UTC