Daily, during the pandemic crisis in 2020, nurses and doctors have been one of the work positions that got most exposed to the virus. Many other workers, from all ages, have been in a situation of health, stress, and above all, economic vulnerability. Culture, hoteling, catering, and transport professionals are some of the most affected positions right now.
With the health crisis, the world is going through a difficult period for employment. And many of these positions are mainly affected by partial unemployment, interruption of trial periods, and instability for the self-employed and freelancers. On the other hand, different positions are on the rise as a result of the Covid-19.
Since mid-March, the coronavirus epidemic has imposed a partial or total stop of activities deemed as “non-essential”, when others have been mobilized in the face of the emergency. Beyond the health and economic dimensions, this crisis has also strongly affected several working conditions. Here there are some of the most affected positions in some of the different industries:
Service
This category includes occupations such as waiters, security guards, and custodians. They often carry out their duties in facilities, or have face-to-face interactions. Business closures made it impossible for many of these workers to perform their job functions.
Arts, design, entertainment, and media
When theatres and cinemas are closed to the public, the cast and crew that create the work seen on stage and screen are jobless, at least temporarily. But the domino effect is far greater, causing the loss of employment of ushers, ticket collectors, sales clerks, and others.
Construction and mining
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), in 2016 construction-related occupations employed more than 2.6 million people older than 55. In fact, before the pandemic, the same agency reported that the position of ‘building and construction inspector’ was one of the most popular professions among older adults, which suffer from a higher risk of infection during these times.
Transport
Many self-employed have transport occupations such as drivers. This is due in part to the flexible hours and part-time positions that are available. And this includes the elderly people. For example, according to a study from the Centre of Economic Policy Research (CEPR), 46.7% of the employees who work for public transport systems are over 50 years old.
Installation, maintenance, and repair
Because workers in these fields have to come in person to repair mechanical and electronic devices, many of them had to put off job opportunities during mandatory shutdown periods.
Office and administrative
Not all people who work in an office can do their work remotely. These work positions in administrative functions, short-term temporary jobs, or in similar support positions, have experienced layoffs or reduced hours during the pandemic.The health crisis has hit an already weakened labor market across the globe. The impact was even more challenging for the older adults, whose unemployment rate was already above average, and who are always the most exposed in the event of a health crisis. One of the solutions, especially for younger generations, is to find some of the currently available online job positions which will allow them to become remotely employed during these pandemic times. If you are interested in starting working for home, we highly recommend you to check this article.
