News
Post COVID employment recovery for female and young workers in South Asia incomplete – WB
Post COVID recovery in labor markets remains incomplete in South Asian countries as they cope with a series of global shocks such as the economic impact of the war in Ukraine, says a recent survey by the World Bank.The survey authored by Valerie Mercer-Blackman, World Bank Senior Economist, South Asia Office of the Chief Economist and Vanessa Olakemi Dovonou
Consultant, Office of the Chief Economist for South Asia, says that the COVID-19 pandemic pushed two of the most disadvantaged groups out of work: women and youth. Women and youth had not returned to the workforce at the same rate as men and their elder peers, when the labor market was still recuperating from pandemic waves.
“Since the recovery of South Asia’s employment market is not complete, policymakers in the region can help reduce the long-term effects of the scarring by ensuring that sectors and firms that have less viability post the COVID-19 pandemic are not protected or ’propped up’. For example, extending credit forbearance to a large state-owned firm shifts public resources away from new firms and startups with huge growth potential. Instead, these resources could be used for regional service centers that provide job-matching infrastructure, training, and IT assistance to workers, thus reducing the cost and friction of switching jobs and transitioning to new sectors,” says the survey report.
“Almost three years after the start of the pandemic, we are just beginning to get a clearer picture of how the labor markets in South Asia have evolved. Many aspects of employment are ‘structural’ in nature, which means we cannot tell whether changes we observe now are temporary or permanent. In the World Bank’s latest South Asia Economic Focus, we tried to piece together emerging trends based on the limited evidence available, first by looking at changes in employment across sectors, and then by focusing on two demographic groups most vulnerable to job losses: female and youth workers.
The first order at hand is to use the data on recovery by sectors of economic activity to see what may have happened to employment growth and how it varied by sectors. The sectoral variation reflects the severity of lockdowns in each country and is influenced by whether the sector was contact-intensive or amenable to remote work, as well as by the duration and persistence of COVID-19 waves in a locality.
In the case of South Asia, the agriculture sector was less affected, while manufacturing recovered within a few months. However, there was huge heterogeneity in the recovery of the services sector. The figure below shows the case of India and is reflective of trends in other countries across South Asia. For example, growth in ‘business services’—comprising professional, financial, and real estate services—and in public services soared. In contrast, growth in contact-intensive (“COVID-sensitive”) services, fell sharply. The latter are services in the tourism industry—accommodations, restaurants, recreation, and entertainment—and personal services. People here were likely out of a job for a long time. As of the end of 2022, activity in these sectors was recovering but it is generally nowhere near pre-COVID levels.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
