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According to the UN International Labour Organization (ILO), more than half a million individuals in Afghanistan have lost or been driven out of their jobs since the Taliban took power.
In a statement issued by the United Nations, the International Labour Organization (ILO) warned that the economy has been “paralysed,” citing massive employment and working-hour losses.
Women were disproportionately affected, according to the statement. As a result of the crisis in Afghanistan and “restrictions on women’s participation in the workplace,” it’s projected that job losses would reach almost 700,000 by the middle of this year, with the most severe projections surpassing 900,000.
Women’s employment rates are already low by global standards, but the ILO estimates that they fell by 16% in the third quarter of 2021, and that they could decline by another 21% to 28% by mid-2022.
“The situation in Afghanistan is grave, and immediate support for stabilisation and recovery is required,” said Ramin Behzad, Senior Coordinator for Afghanistan at the International Labour Organization. “While resolving immediate humanitarian needs is a primary priority, people and communities will need access to good jobs, livelihoods, and basic services in the long run.”
Hundreds of thousands of jobs have been lost in several major sectors since the takeover, according to the International Labour Organization.
Agriculture and the civil service are two examples of industries where people have been laid off or left unpaid. The 538,000 construction employees – 99 percent of whom are men – have also suffered as key infrastructure projects have halted, according to the statement.
According to the ILO, the Taliban takeover has resulted in “hundreds of thousands” of Afghan security force members losing their jobs, with teachers and health professionals being particularly hard hit by the lack of cash in the economy, which has been exacerbated by dwindling foreign donor support.
