Pakistan’s 20.76 million workforce suffered livelihood losses due to coronavirus-related lockdowns and a large majority of them got back to work after July 2020, an official survey reveals.

The Planning Commission on Thursday said the country’s 35 per cent (about 55.74m) population of 10 years and older was working before the onset of Covid-19, but due to closure of activities after implementation of lockdowns, this declined to 22pc (about 35.04m people). “This means almost 20.76m population was affected,” the commission said, citing the survey conducted by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

A review meeting presided over by Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar expres­sed satisfaction that “after July the recovery process started and 33pc of population reported working after April-July 2020”. This means approximately 52.56m people started working again — almost a V-shaped recovery.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1600296/2076m-lost-livelihood-due-to-lockdowns-survey