COVID-19 doesn’t just kill people. It kills job.
According to United Nations’ International Labour Organisation (ILO), a staggering 435 million full-time jobs have been lost in the first half of this year, due to lockdown and other COVID-19 measures.
Before the outbreak, there was already a sentiment reverberating in this country – where have all the good jobs gone? People lament the lack of good jobs despite having the right education and skills. Underemployment is a lingering problem that is only going to intensify. The competition for jobs – let alone good jobs – is stiffer than ever.
It’s a employers market and they hold all the power.
In the past, the life of a salaryman was one of being responsible and competent. One can retire after being in the jobs for decades, and never worry about job security.
These days, jobs are gradually shifting to contract based. Companies are reluctant to commit to full timers. Outsourcing is abundance.
With the economy is getting more volatile with each cycle, businesses are finding it hard to survive. Employees are at the short end of that stick. Laid-offs are not uncommon. We are at the junction where wage workers are constantly worrying about their job stability.
For many of us out there, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to build better lives through work.