Survey underlines job loss, drop in earnings during lockdown

It reveals that 73% of around 870 respondents in State have lost their jobs

The State is still coming to grips with the true extent of the impact of COVID-19 on livelihoods but early surveys reveal the severity of the situation.

A survey conducted by the Azim Premji University in association with other organisations has revealed that 73% of around 870 respondents in Karnataka have lost their jobs. In urban areas, three out of four respondents have lost jobs during the lockdown, while among non-agricultural casual workers eight out of 10 people are unemployed.

For the survey, people in 25 districts were interviewed and data was collected between April 15 and May 15.

In addition to job loss, 67% of casual workers and self- employed non-agricultural workers saw a drop in their weekly earnings. The survey states that 44% of salaried wage workers reported that they had not been paid or received reduced salaries during lockdown.

Rosa Abraham, research fellow at the Centre for Sustainable Employment, said: “When someone loses a job, it has implications on the household in terms of how much they spend on food and consumption. The survey also revealed that people are anticipating the situation will continue and are allocating money accordingly.”

She pointed out that compared to rural areas, the impact of the pandemic on urban areas in Karnataka is more pronounced. “In urban areas, we find people have resorted to borrowing loans to meet daily expenses and consuming less food. There is some cushioning in the agricultural sector but in the long run, we would expect rural areas to also suffer,” said Ms. Abraham, adding that migrant workers have suffered hardship during the lockdown as they did not have access to ration and schemes.

The survey paints a bleak picture: six in 10 households were without money to buy essentials for a week. Eight in 10 households reported that they consumed less food than before. Among vulnerable households, 74% received ration but only 32% received at least one cash transfer.

The authors recommend expanding the reach and providing PDS for at least the next six months and cash transfer of at least ₹7,000 per month for two months. There should be urgent focus on programmes for urban poor, expansion of MNREGA, introduction of urban employment guarantee, and investment in universal basic services, it noted.

The COVID-19 livelihood survey, Karnataka, was conducted by Azim Premji University along with Azim Premji Foundation, Centre for Advocacy and Research, and Gauri Media Trust.