Socio-Economic Impact Assessment
DIMENSIONS OF VULNERABILITY
The COVID-19 pandemic is far more than a health crisis. It is affecting societies and economies at their core and will leave the most vulnerable segment of the population bearing the brunt of the impact. Tens of thousands of jobs have been affected so far most of which are at the bottom of the wage spectrum and the disproportionate impact on the vulnerable groups will most likely increase poverty and inequalities at a national as well as at a global scale. As a result, child poverty and gender disparities are on the rise. For the first time in a decade, the number of unemployed women surpassed the number of unemployed men in the country. Being aware of the impacts of the COVID-19 on the vulnerable groups is fundamental to inform and tailor the responses of governments and partners to recover from the crisis and ensure that no one is left behind.
Impact on Unemployment
45,543 jobs
have been lost
since the start of the pandemic
There is a
43% increase in unemployment
since the pandemic outbreak
Small but steady
job creation
since May 2020
Gender disparity
There is steady
increase in women unemployment
since May 2020
In September 2020 the number of
unemployed women surpassed
that of men for the first time in a decade
June 2020
is the worst month with
12,268 newly unemployed
Women unemployment by age groups
Women unemployment has been (on average)
in constant decline in the last 15 years
across all age groups
First half of 2020 shows various degree
of increase in all age groups
from 30-59 years, likely due to COVID-19
The 50-59-year age group was hit the hardest with
increase in unemployment of nearly 24%
or 3.4 points for the first 6 months of 2020
Urban/Rural Unemployment
Urban/rural distribution of unemployment
is remarkably stable
since the onset of the pandemic
On average
6 out of 10 unemployed
come from urban areas
The spike in unemployment
since April 2020 does not affect
the urban/rural distribution of unemployment
Impact on poverty
The poverty rate was stagnant in recent years
but is expected to rise in 2020 (23.3%)
mainly due to COVID-19
Without the government’s economic and welfare
measures in 2020
the poverty rate would likely have been higher
Roughly one in four citizens
in the country are at risk of poverty
and social exclusion
Impact on child poverty
An additional 16,000 children
will most likely fall below the poverty threshold as a result of COVID-19 crisis
The relative child poverty rate will
increase to an estimated 33.3%
a rate not seen in the past decade
Households with
3+ children
are most at risk of COVID-19 induced poverty
