To combat the novel coronavirus, many countries, including Bangladesh, imposed country-wide lockdown. The economy of Bangladesh was under the lockdown from late March to May 2020, when most economic activities slowed down. After withdrawing the lockdown, the economy started to revive. Many of those, however, who became unemployed during the lockdown were unable to return to jobs. The Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC) and the BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD) at BRAC University conducted two surveys-one during the lockdown and another after the lockdown-to assess the effect of the Covid-19 on the livelihoods of rural and urban slum households. Findings from the first survey show that 54 per cent and 72 per cent of main earners from rural areas and urban slums were unemployed in early April 2020 though almost all of them were in jobs before the lockdown (February 2020).
To combat the novel coronavirus, many countries, including Bangladesh, imposed country-wide lockdown. The economy of Bangladesh was under the lockdown from late March to May 2020, when most economic activities slowed down. After withdrawing the lockdown, the economy started to revive. Many of those, however, who became unemployed during the lockdown were unable to return to jobs. The Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC) and the BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD) at BRAC University conducted two surveys-one during the lockdown and another after the lockdown-to assess the effect of the Covid-19 on the livelihoods of rural and urban slum households. Findings from the first survey show that 54 per cent and 72 per cent of main earners from rural areas and urban slums were unemployed in early April 2020 though almost all of them were in jobs before the lockdown (February 2020).
