Hit By COVID And Military Coup, ILO Calls Myanmar's Labor Market Fragile

Illustration-(Photo: DOK ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Myanmar's labor market continues to suffer from the impact of the COVID-19 crisis, the military's takeover of power since 2021, and subsequent socio-economic turmoil. "The “ Manpower conditions in Myanmar remain fragile and challenging with many workers facing a very uncertain future," said Liaison Officer of ILO Myanmar Donglin Li in a written statement, Antara, Thursday, July 27. "Recovery of democracy remains important for the future prospects of Myanmar and its people and is a necessary prerequisite for social justice and decent work," Li added. ILO notes that the recovery in the number of jobs in several sectors recently has failed to keep pace with Myanmar's population growth. As a result, a significant decline can be seen in the job to population ratio, which is 54.5 percent in 2022, to 8.2 percentage points below the 2017 level. The quality of work has decreased with more workers being pushed to the informal sector. Labor productivity also decreased with an estimate of a decrease of 8 percent in 2021, and a further decline of 2 percent in the first half of 2022.

The disproportionate impact on women was also revealed, with the ratio of work to the female population in Myanmar having doubled compared to men.