Covid: One in two people globally lost income due to the pandemic, poll finds

Nairobi - The Covid crisis has hit workers across the world, particularly women, who are over-represented in low-paid precarious sectors.

One in two people worldwide saw their earnings drop due to the coronavirus, with people in low-income countries particularly hard hit by job losses or cuts to their working hours, research showed on Monday.

US-based polling company Gallup, which surveyed 300,000 people across 117 countries, found that half of those with jobs earned less because of Covid-19 pandemic disruptions. This translated to 1.6 billion adults globally, it said.

“Worldwide, these percentages ranged from a high of 76 per cent in Thailand to a low of 10 per cent in Switzerland,” said researchers in a statement.

In Bolivia, Myanmar, Kenya, Uganda, Indonesia, Honduras and Ecuador, more than 70 per cent people polled said they took home less than before global health crisis. In the United States, this figure dropped to 34 per cent.

The Covid-19 crisis has hit workers across the world, particularly women, who are over-represented in low-paid precarious sectors such as retail, tourism and food services.

A study by the international charity Oxfam on Thursday said the pandemic had cost women around the world $800 billion in lost income.

The Gallup poll found that more than half of those surveyed said they temporarily stopped working at their job or business - translating to about 1.7 billion adults globally.