One of the worst job crises since the Great Depression has been brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a genuine risk that the crisis will exacerbate poverty and worsen disparities, with the effects lasting for years. Now, nations must exert every effort to prevent the jobs crisis from developing into a social disaster. A crucial investment in the future and in future generations is the rebuilding of a healthier and more resilient labor market.
The industries where they had worked for years, sweating and toiling, expelled them without making arrangements for their housing or food. Government assistance was not provided to these Indian citizens along the route. As some of them tried to enter their own hamlet, admittance was refused since they seemed empty from the other side of the bamboo fence. The police stopped them in mid-stride and placed them wherever they pleased. As if these migrant workers were refugees from war!
The first wave and the associated containment measures led to widespread job losses, a sharp rise in inequality and poverty, as well as an increase in debt and hunger. It was nothing less than a humanitarian crisis for groups that are especially vulnerable, like migrant workers and the homeless.
Those fortunate enough to have access to public transportation did so. Nonetheless, millions of unfortunate migrant workers and their families hit the streets in search of their home countries or uncharted territory. The most exciting picture that caused me unimaginable pain was when these laborers lost their nationality while walking around the national highways for hundreds of kilometers.
In order to stop the pandemic from spreading, some state governments were forced to implement various types of lockdowns around April 2020. With the exception of emergency services, nearly all businesses, industrial facilities, transportation systems, colleges, and government offices went on lockdown. On the one hand, these lockdowns at that time produced positive effects by containing the virus, but on the other, the industries started to suffer, which has even after 3 years still been impacting the jobs of various people across all sectors.
