A brief overview on the uneven impact of the Covid-19 pandemic upon employment and the young NEETs: Evidence from Greek regions and sectors
The Covid-19 pandemic is a proven multifaceted health as well as social crisis. The policy responses against the expansion of the novel coronavirus, regardless of their necessity in protecting the public health, have also a bitter consequence.
The national or regional lockdowns, the sectoral risk mitigation measures and the policies regarding movement restriction have triggered an employment crisis too. Enterprises are closing or employment contracts are being suspended across Europe.
The recent research conducted by the ‘Covid-19 Regional Labour’, the YOUTHShare’s spin-off project, on employment data in Greece bring forward two very interesting findings.
On the one hand, unemployment during the 2nd Quarter of 2020 has significantly affected the metropolitan areas in Greece, Attica and Central Macedonia. In comparison to the same rates during the 2nd Quarter of 2019, the pandemic has affected the labour conditions for millions of workers.
On the other hand, significantly affected were the insular regions that depend upon tourism; Crete, South Aegean and Ionian Islands. The tourism monoculture has been the necessary diversification from other economy sector that proved those regions resilient during the 2008 recession and the subsequent crisis. Nevertheless, the lack of substantial diversification in regional level has severely affected the regional economy during the current crisis. “Placing the eggs in one basket” is never a wise move and the Covid-19 crisis has proven its validity.
Most importantly, it needs to be stressed that behind the statistics there are people and in most of the cases, the most vulnerable among our societies. NEETs are among them requiring special attenion in view of their integration in the labour market.
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