A Tale of Africa Today : Balancing the Lives and Livelihoods of Informal Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic
In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), more than 80 percent of workers find their livelihoods in the informal sector. They are artisans and shop owners, fishers and divers, tailors and weavers, truck drivers and market sellers, among many other informal jobs...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Brief |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Washington, DC: World Bank
2020
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/798701601482469323/A-Tale-of-Africa-Today-Balancing-the-Lives-and-Livelihoods-of-Informal-Workers-During-the-COVID-19-Pandemic http://hdl.handle.net/10986/34582 |
| Summary: | In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), more than
80 percent of workers find their livelihoods in the informal
sector. They are artisans and shop owners, fishers and
divers, tailors and weavers, truck drivers and market
sellers, among many other informal jobs. In the era of the
COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, saving lives and protecting
livelihoods are both deeply challenging in SSA countries
with high informality and almost no social protection.
Informal workers and their families are most vulnerable to
the disease, as they toil in crowded bazaars and busy
streets. Moreover, informal workers are typically poor and
cannot stockpile food or cash for a long lockdown. Strict
containment measures directly jeopardize their income, their
livelihoods, and their lives. The analysis confirms that
higher rates of informal employment (as a fraction of total
employment) are associated with higher rates of COVID-19
infection or disease spread. Not surprisingly, countries
with relatively larger populations are also more likely to
experience higher rates of infection. Given the adverse
socioeconomic effects of COVID-19 containment on informal
businesses and workers lacking social protection, countries
should take proactive steps to curb the spread of
infections, treat affected people, and at the same time
provide social safety nets and economic relief for informal
workers and businesses. |
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