Seven out of 10 workers lost employment during lockdown in Karnataka Survey

Bengaluru, May 28 (PTI) Seven out of ten (72 per cent)
workers in Karnataka reported having lost their employment
during the COVID-19-induced lockdown, according to findings of
a survey by Azim Premji University, in collaboration with ten
civil society organisations.
The university said in a statement it conducted "a
detailed" phone survey of 5,000 workers across 12 states in
the country, to gauge the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on
employment, livelihoods, and access to government relief
schemes.
The survey covered self-employed, casual, and regular wage
and salaried workers and it released the findings for
Karnataka on Thursday.
Seventy-six per cent of urban workers and 66 per cent of
rural workers lost their employment, the survey findings said.
For non-agricultural self-employed workers and wage
workers, who were still employed, average weekly earnings fell
by two-third.
More than four in ten salaried workers (44 per cent) saw
either a reduction in their salary or received no salary
during the lockdown.
Six out of ten households reported that they did not have
enough money to buy even a weeks worth of essential items,
according to the survey.
Eight out ten households reported a reduction in food
intake, while less than three in ten vulnerable households (27
per cent) in urban Karnataka received any form of cash
transfer from the government, it said.
In summary, the disruption in the Karnatakas economy and
labour markets is enormous. Livelihoods have been devastated
at unprecedented levels during the lockdown. The recovery from
this could be slow and very painful, the statement said.
As a response to the findings of this survey, the team
which has conducted the survey suggested a universalisation of
the PDS to expand its reach and implementation of expanded
rations for at least the next six months.
It suggested cash transfers equal to at least Rs. 7000 per
month for two months, and proactive steps like expansion of
MGNREGA, introduction of urban employment guarantee, and
investment in universal basic services, among others. PTI RS
VS VS

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)