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The Minister of Employment and Labor Relations, Ignatius Baffour Awuah, has stated that a total of 11,657 jobs were lost following the coronavirus outbreak in the country.
According to Awuah, the results of a market survey of some 40,040 people revealed that various institutions had reacted differently in an attempt to contain the economic impact of the pandemic on their businesses.
“The impact of Covid-19 resulted in the loss of 11,657 jobs that represent 26.5% of the workers who were interviewed. The incidence of job losses was higher among micro-businesses, that is, 36% and lower in large-scale establishments, 23%, ”he said.
Some companies chose to take shifts, others laid off casual workers or combined both, and some were still forced to institute pay cuts in their employees’ wages.
Speaking at a press conference in Accra on Wednesday, he indicated that although there was no record of job losses in the public sector, many private sector employees had lost their jobs.
Mr. Awuah explained that in some cases companies opted to reduce their workers’ wages rather than outright layoff.
The minister stated that there was a 50% reduction in profits in the entertainment and events industry in approximately 1,982 businesses.
However, he noted that the least affected were employees of the finance and maritime transport subsector.
A total of 16,685 of the 44,040 (40%) workers surveyed suffered pay cuts. Workers in construction, entertainment, events and other industries also suffered pay cuts.
However, it said that around 2,849 jobs, accounting for 24% of job losses, have been restored after the relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions.
