Summary of the article ADB report 9.3 million jobs disappeared [Vung Tau = AP/News] On September 6, last year, at a checkpoint in Vung Tau, Vietnam, a public security officer checks and returns travel documents of commuters. 2021.09.06.
[Seoul=Newsis] Reporter Yujabi = More than 4.7 million people were driven into extreme poverty in Southeast Asia last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to CNBC on the 17th, the Asian Development Bank said in a report published the day before that last years pandemic forced more than 4.7 million people in Southeast Asia to live in extreme poverty, living on less than $1.9 a day, and 9.3 million jobs were lost.
ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa said the pandemic has led to widespread unemployment, worsening inequality and rising levels of poverty, particularly among women, young workers and the elderly in Southeast Asia.
Many countries in Southeast Asia are struggling with the spread of omicron mutations.
The ADB forecast Southeast Asias growth rate of 5.1% this year as vaccination rates rise, but warns that the new mutation could cut growth by 0.8%.
Since the outbreak of the pandemic, the countries with the most reported cases of COVID-19 in the region are Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia, in order.
ADB believes that Southeast Asias economy, which is heavily reliant on tourism, is beginning to recover. As borders begin to reopen, they hoped it would provide more opportunities for economic growth and jobs.
But there is still a long way to go, CNBC said. In July-September last year, total international tourist arrivals increased by 58% compared to the same period last year, but it is still 64% lower than in 2019.
The ADB has called for greater investment in the health system to spur economic recovery in the region.
The ADB said it will help health systems provide treatment, improve disease surveillance and respond to future epidemics.
