Women hit hardest by global pandemic job losses, says UN report

 Women in Jakarta last week after receiving government assistance. Photograph: Willy Kurniawan/Reuters

Globally, women have been hardest hit by pandemic job losses and only men’s employment is likely to return to 2019 levels this year, the International Labour Organisation said today.

The UN agency said that women have been at greater risk of job cuts and reduced hours as a result of coronavirus restrictions - particularly in the accommodation, food services and manufacturing sectors – Reuters reports.

As well as enduring substantial income losses, women have also carried most of the burden of unpaid care work.

The report said:

Even though the projected jobs growth in 2021 for women exceeds that of men, it will, nonetheless, be insufficient to bring women back to pre-pandemic employment levels.

Between 2019 and 2020, 4.2% of women’s employment globally (the equivalent of 54 million jobs) disappeared because of the pandemic. In contrast, 3% of men’s employment globally (60 million jobs) was lost.

This year, 13 million fewer women are expected to be employed than they were in 2019, while men’s employment is projected to be at pre-pandemic levels.

Updated at 4.23pm BST