Impact of the Ukraine crisis on the world of work: Initial assessments estimates that escalating hostilities will hit the economy even more, causing job losses to soar to seven million.
However, if the fighting were to end immediately, the International Labor Organization (ILO) learn speak that a rapid recovery could return 3.4 million jobs and reduce the job loss rate to 8.9%.
Financial support for refugees
Of the more than 5.23 million mainly women and children who left Ukraine for neighboring countries, about 2.75 million are of working age – 43.5%, or 1.2 million, of the population. they have had jobs before.
To deal with interruptions, Ukraine has made considerable efforts to keep the national social protection system functioning by ensuring payment benefits, including for internally displaced persons, through digital technology.
Ripple effect
The Ukraine crisis also threatens to disrupt labor in neighboring countries – mainly Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania and Slovakia – as the wars continue to threaten to force refugees into longer exile, putting further pressure on the labor market and social protection system while increasing the unemployment rate.
The economic and employment turmoil is having a significant impact on Central Asia, especially on countries that depend on remittances from Russia, such as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
These countries are among the top ten countries of origin for migrants in Russia, many of which send significant amounts of money back home.
If the hostile and punitive actions against Russia lead to the loss of jobs for migrant workers, they could return to their home countries, causing severe economic damage to the entire Central Asian region. .
Global impact
Russia’s aggression also creates a shock to the global economyfurther complicate the COVID recovery, as it has the potential to affect job and wage growth, and place additional pressure on social protection systems.
And in many high-income countries showing signs of labor market recovery, the fallout from the Ukraine crisis could worsen working conditions and reverse some of their gains.
The situation is particularly difficult in low- and middle-income countries, many of which have not been able to fully recover from the COVID crisis.
© FAO / Genya Savilov
Men work on the construction site of a grain processing plant in Kyiv Oblast, central Ukraine. (file)
Act
In March, the ILO adopted a resolution calling on Russia “immediate and unconditional cessation of aggression” against Ukraine, expressing deep concern about the serious impact it has had on workers and employers who risked their lives. them to continue working.
To mitigate the impact of the crisis on the Ukrainian labor market, the ILO has recommended measures to provide targeted employment support in relatively safe regions of Ukraine, including by building government-funded worker and business relocation program.
It also advocates for employers’ and workers’ organizations to play a role in humanitarian assistance and in ensuring the continuation of work, where possible.
The influence of food
Meanwhile, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) bring the countries of Europe and Central Asia Let’s find a solution together effects of war on the global agricultural system.
The Europe and Central Asia region comprises 53 high- and middle-income countries, home to more than 900 million people.
Although the FAO says the region is “well-positioned” as one of the world’s food pans, hunger levels are rising, along with prices for food, feed, fuel and fertilizers..
As the United Nations agency closely monitors the global impacts of the Ukraine war, it has launched a rapid response plan “to support lives and save livelihoods” for farmers in the land war-torn country, where one in five households cannot meet their basic food needs. demand.
To date, funding has not been sufficient to support the agency’s $115 million plan to reach nearly one million individuals.
