Joint ILO/WEC Webinar Series on COVID-19: the role of employment services and policies for recovery
The new webinar series focuses on the impact on employment and the role of employment services, with a deep dive on active labour market policies and social protection. The webinars take stock of responses, initiatives and lessons learned that could inspire the road to recovery.
The Covid-19 pandemic is causing unprecedented turmoil in the labour markets. Recent estimates by the ILO show that 2.7 billion workers, representing 81 per cent of the global workforce, were affected by the full or partial lockdown measures implemented to contain the pandemic and an equivalent of 305 million full time jobs will be lost in the second quarter of 2020.
Workers in the informal and gig economies are the hardest hit as are the workers in worst affected sectors such as retail, trade, transportation, accommodation and food services, and manufacturing. Low- and middle-income countries face particular risks of high numbers of workers falling into poverty, unemployment and threatened livelihoods during recovery. This results from the disproportionate share of informality in total employment and poor access to health services and social protection. As many countries ease lockdowns and mobility restrictions, workers start to go back to work. Return-to-work policies and activation measures for the unemployed, including those that lost their jobs or have to change jobs or occupations due the pandemic, should be well reflected.
In the framework of the ILO-WEC collaboration, a series of webinars are organised to exchange knowledge and discuss policy options for a sustained recovery and reintegration of workers in decent employment. The outcomes of the discussions will inform support actions to the constituency of both organizations and promote further collaboration between them.
Webinar 1 - Covid-19: Taking stock of the impact on Employment and Employment Services, 17 June 2020
Webinar 2 – Covid-19: Activation for Recovery, 25 September 2020, 10:00 - 11:30 (CET)
Webinar 3 – Social protection for the recovery, 15 October 2020, 10:30 - 12:00 (CET)
Workers in the informal and gig economies are the hardest hit as are the workers in worst affected sectors such as retail, trade, transportation, accommodation and food services, and manufacturing. Low- and middle-income countries face particular risks of high numbers of workers falling into poverty, unemployment and threatened livelihoods during recovery. This results from the disproportionate share of informality in total employment and poor access to health services and social protection. As many countries ease lockdowns and mobility restrictions, workers start to go back to work. Return-to-work policies and activation measures for the unemployed, including those that lost their jobs or have to change jobs or occupations due the pandemic, should be well reflected.
In the framework of the ILO-WEC collaboration, a series of webinars are organised to exchange knowledge and discuss policy options for a sustained recovery and reintegration of workers in decent employment. The outcomes of the discussions will inform support actions to the constituency of both organizations and promote further collaboration between them.
Webinar 1 - Covid-19: Taking stock of the impact on Employment and Employment Services, 17 June 2020
Webinar 2 – Covid-19: Activation for Recovery, 25 September 2020, 10:00 - 11:30 (CET)
Webinar 3 – Social protection for the recovery, 15 October 2020, 10:30 - 12:00 (CET)