Nepal: Central Bank study finds nearly a quarter of Nepali workers have lost jobs due to COVID-19
Автор: The Himalayan Times, Опубликовано: 12 August 2020
"Nearly a quarter of Nepal’s workers lose jobs due to coronavirus: Central Bank", 13 August 2020
Nepali businesses have laid off 22.5% of their workers as measures to contain the novel coronavirus hit tourism and other activities, a senior central bank official said on Thursday, citing a study of the economic impact of the outbreak.
The study of nearly 700 enterprises in 52 of the Himalayan nation’s 77 districts, conducted by the central bank in June, showed most jobs lost in hotels and restaurants followed by agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and the wholesale and retail sectors.
Nepal imposed a nationwide lockdown in March after reporting two confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus. That put an end to its spring climbing and hiking season, which draws visitors from around the world.
...Following the outbreak, Nepal lowered its forecast for growth for the fiscal year that ended in mid-July to 2.3% from 8.5%.
About 20% of Nepal‘s 30 million people live on a daily income of below $2 and are heavily dependent on the informal sector.