Tens of millions plunge into poverty in Covid-ravaged India 6 min. today at 08:05
Shrinking incomes, savings to weigh on economic recovery Shrinking incomes, savings to weigh on economic recovery People wait to refill their cylinders with medical oxygen for the Covid-19 coronavirus patients at Kalinga oxygen refilling centre in Moradabad on May 5. Photo credit: AFP
After dipping into his savings to weather Indiaâs snap pandemic lockdown last March, Manoj Kumar was just getting his head above water again earning 600 rupees ($8) a day as a construction worker in the tourist hotspot of Goa.
Heâd squirreled away enough for a trip last month to his native village in Bihar some 1,490 miles away for a wedding. Heâs still there, stuck in one of the nationâs least developed states, as a fierce second Covid-19 wave triggers the worldâs worst health crisis and prevents his return. On a lucky day, heâll land some odd jobs that fetc
updated: May 08 2021, 08:41 ist
By Anirban Nag and Swansy Afonso,
After dipping into his savings to weather India’s snap pandemic lockdown last March, Manoj Kumar was just getting his head above water again earning 600 rupees ($8) a day as a construction worker in the tourist hotspot of Goa. He’d squirreled away enough for a trip last month to his native village in Bihar some 1,490 miles away for a wedding. He’s still there, stuck in one of the nation’s least developed states, as a fierce second Covid-19 wave triggers the world’s worst health crisis and prevents his return.
Tens of millions plunge into poverty in Modi-led India
Agencies
May 8, 2021
After dipping into his savings to weather India’s snap pandemic lockdown last March, Manoj Kumar was just getting his head above water again earning 600 rupees ($8) a day as a construction worker in the tourist hotspot of Goa. He’d squirreled away enough for a trip last month to his native village in Bihar some 1,490 miles away for a wedding. He’s still there, stuck in one of the nation’s least developed states, as a fierce second Covid-19 wave triggers the world’s worst health crisis and prevents his return.
India’s unemployment rate rose to a four-month high of nearly 8% in April, and the outlook remains weak with state administrations extending lockdowns to curb a record surge in virus cases.
Unemployment increased to 7.97% from 6.5% in March, with more than seven million jobs lost last month, according to data from Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy Pvt., a private research firm.
“There is a fall in the jobs available. This could be due to the lockdowns,” CMIE Managing Director Mahesh Vyas said by telephone. “Since the virus is still quite intense and we are stressed on the medical health-services front, it’s likely that the situation will remain tense in May as well.”
India’s virus surge leaves another 7 million people jobless
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Last Updated: May 03, 2021, 06:25 PM IST
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Synopsis
State govts have been forced to extend curbs as the nation’s creaky health infrastructure can’t cope with the flood of virus cases, jeopardizing a nascent economic recovery. The weak employment outlook is a risk for India’s chances of reaching double-digit economic growth this year. Many economists already have lowered their projections.
ANI
City-based labourers leaving for their native places. This comes amid a backlash against government s handling of Covid.
India’s unemployment rate rose to a four-month high of nearly 8% in April, and the outlook remains weak with state administrations extending lockdowns to curb a record surge in virus cases.