The Covid-19 pandemic is leaving a dramatic impact on all individuals and their jobs, with hundreds of thousands of workers estimated to lose jobs.
Chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, Mark Zandi told CNN that more than half of an estimated 153 million jobs in the U.S. alone are at high or moderate risk as a result of Covid-19. With this, there might be as many as 10 million workers having some impact on their paychecks via layoffs, furlough, fewer hours or wage cuts. In fact, those who work in informal and hospitality sectors, such as airlines, hotels, amusement parks, sporting events, food trucks, salons, dog walkers, babysitters, restaurants, are among the job sectors which will be hit the hardest during the Covid-19 crisis.
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Not only in the U.S., a massive job loss can also be seen globally. In the U.K., employees told the BBC that they are being laid off or temporarily terminated due to the pandemic. Informal workers in Indonesia are also seeing a decline in their income. With the largest death tolls in Southeast Asia, Indonesian government encourages people to not leave their home and work remotely, meaning informal sectors such as those who work in a restaurant, online drivers, street vendors, etc. would be affected the greatest.
The Covid-19 outbreak might disrupt the economy, but it does not mean the end of the world. We need to survive through the pandemic, pay the bills, and afford some food. For those who lose jobs or being at risk of it, these solutions could help you.
As soon as you lose your job, browse through government websites and look for unemployment advice. Do research what you need to fill if you want to file for unemployment. In Australia, for example, you can file for unemployment through myGov, but you will need to create a Centrelink “customer reference number”. Or, you can follow government instruction and seek local advice from experts, such as NELP experts, company’s mortgage advisors, or your legal assistance.
Although job vacancies are rare, there is always stuff you can do to make ends meet. For example, you can do freelance writing, be a virtual service, be an online teacher, sell your creativity, or work on your art and sell them. You can also register for jobs that might need more assistance such as paid volunteers, mask factory, or supermarket as these sectors might need more employees during the crisis.
Social distancing is important. However, it does not mean that you cannot contact your network or relative to ask for a side gig. You can reach out to your friends or old contacts and ask if they need your help with their projects. Tell them that you can work for them. During times of crisis, strengthening each other is important so it is always worth trying every possible way.
Read also: COVID-19: How To Make Your Self-Quarantine Fun & Productive
