Post-COVID Unemployment Expected to Reach 205 Million 

GENEVA - An analysis of post-COVID-19 employment prospects projects global unemployment will reach 205 million in 2022, greatly surpassing the pre-crisis level of 187 million in 2019. The International Labor Organization has launched its new edition of the "World Employment and Social Outlook:  Trends 2021." 

Authors of the report say the COVID-19 pandemic is not just a health crisis. It also is an employment and human crisis that will have long-lasting ramifications for economies around the world. They say the social and economic impact of the pandemic is far from over and will continue to be felt until at least 2023.  ILO Director-General Guy Ryder says the employment situation in low-income countries is expected to be worse than in high-income countries. He says wealthier countries that have better access to vaccines and strong fiscal support are expected to recover faster from the crisis.  “For many millions of people, the working hour losses combined with the lack or absence of social protection have simply meant an increase in poverty… An estimated 31 million working people are now classified as extremely poor, living on less than the international poverty line of $1.90 per day,” he said.