June 9, 2020
Up to 305 million fulltime workers in all economic sectors are at risk of losing their jobs in the second quarter of 2020 due to COVID-19. In the mining sector, global mine sites are temporarily closing to protect workers’ health and safety. Employees are being laid off. Supply chains are slowing or halting production entirely.
The latest paper from the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF) details how COVID-19 has impacted employment in mining. The IGF also highlights three ways governments and industry can act now to foster a resilient job market and protect communities’ livelihoods:
- Relief: shift from blanket measures to targeted support
- Recovery: resume usual business, but not business as usual
- Resilience: prepare for future black swan events