With respondents from all over the world and from the most varied professional areas, the reality during COVID-19 is overwhelming: many employees have decreased their working conditions and even more lost their jobs.

  • Around 29% out of 1000 respondents lost their jobs globally.
  • Only 20% of the respondents could work from home.
  • 27% of the respondents claim to feel more pressure from their employers.

The coronavirus pandemic has a tremendous impact on people’s lives and our societiesーbut what is the result and consequences for labor markets and the collection of labor statistics?

An expected economic crisis. Since 2008, the markets were not so low in all professional areas. Homeworkers and freelancers seem to be the workers least affected by this crisis. On the other hand, agriculture and fisheries, tourism, and real estate seem to be the areas most penalized during the economic crisis generated by the novel COVID-19.

Also Read: Workers Concerns Toward Retirement During COVID-19

In the most diverse professional areas, people claim to be more pressured ー this is for those who kept their jobs. However, the reality is worrying, since almost 30 percent of the employees inquired in the Real Research survey lost their jobs, and a large part saw their wages reduced.

Among the problems experienced, the difficulties in balancing professional and personal life and the apparent fear of losing a job are short-term realities.

Unemployment Rates Soar Worldwide

In response to the question, “How affected was your work situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic?” 289 peopleー28.9% a range of 1000 respondentsーreplied, “I lost my job due to COVID-19”. On the same side of the coin, there are 255 participants (25.5%) who answered, “My salary was reduced by up to 40% due to COVID-19.” A still significant sample of 185 employees (18.5%) claimed to have been on lay-off without salary.

In response to the question, “How affected was your work situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic?” 289 people — 28.9% a range of 1000 respondents – replied, “I lost my job due to COVID-19”. On the same side of the coin, there are 255 participants (25.5%) who answered, “My salary was reduced by up to 40% due to COVID-19.” A still significant sample of 185 employees (18.5%) claimed to have been on lay-off without salary.

Some responses with less affluence were “I lost some benefits from my company,” yet with 84 (8.4%) respondents claiming that and “I had to quit my job to take care of my family members” had 64 responses (6.4%).

Finally, “I am employed with a 100% salary” comes with only 54 respondents (5.4%). This means that the ideal situation was pointed out by one of the smallest fractions of respondents. This is followed by “I had to ask for a lay-off situation to take care of my family members” with 18 respondents (18.8%) and “my professional situation was not affected” with only 17 respondents (17%).

More People Stayed on Workplaces Than People Were Able to Work From Home

For the question “In case you had kept your job, what measures were taken by your employer?” most respondents responded, “social distancing at the workplace” with 303 responses (30.3%). Despite being the most requested solution by governments and health caregivers globally, only 21.9% of people had the possibility to work from home, with 219 respondents to confirm “telework from home.”

Moreover, 200 people said they work from home regularly (20%), 106 said they were freelancers (10.6%), 63 people said that no measures were taken, 55 people said they were not working at the moment (5.5%), and 54 respondents claimed to have combined the first four concepts (5.4%).

Companies Seem to Pressure Their Employees More

To the question “Do you feel more work pressure due to the COVID-19 situation?” 271 people (27.1%) answered, “Yes, my company pressures its employees more.” Still, in an adverse scenario, 215 people (21.5%) answered, “Yes, I am constantly afraid of losing my job.” which shows constant pressure and distrust from employers.

In line with this, 219 (21.9%) respondents affirmed having their devices controlled by company-related tools, and 111 (11.1%) answered, “I am afraid of testing positive and lose my job.”

Still in line with the previous topic, to the question “Are you afraid of losing your current job due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the near future?” the overwhelming majority answered yes, with 330 (33.3%) of respondents saying “agree” and 245 (24.5%) saying “somewhat agree.”

In a more optimistic scenario, 216 people (21.6%) answered “somewhat disagree,” and 79 (7.9%) seem confident about keeping their jobs. Still, 84 (8.4%) respondents appear to be unsure.

The results of this survey conducted by Real Research were bitter, with very high unemployment rates and pressure indices equally high. The novel COVID-19 seems to have brought an economic crisis and a humanitarian crisis to the whole world.

Methodology

Real Research conducted a global survey with 1000 participants integrated into the labor market during COVID-19. The sample includes 285 respondents from North America, 164 from East Asia and the Pacific, 137 participants from South Asia, 132 from Western Europe, 119 from Latin America and the Caribbean, 116 from Eastern Europe and Central Asia, 36 from Sub-Saharan Africa 36 and 11 from The Middle East and North Africa.

The survey was conducted between 5 November and 10 November and rewarded all the participants for their time.