Gallup survey: 50% of employed people worldwide have seen their incomes fall as the epidemic rages on

A study released today by pollster Gallup Inc. shows that one in two employed people worldwide have seen their income reduced by the epidemic, and that people in low-income countries have been hit particularly hard by job losses or reduced hours.

Reuters reports that U.S.-based Gallup, which surveyed 300,000 people in 117 countries, found that the 2019 coronavirus disease (Chinese Communist Virus, COVID-19) epidemic reduced the incomes of half of respondents who were working, which translates to 1.6 billion adults worldwide with declining incomes.

The percentage of people affected in each country ranged from 76 percent in Thailand to 10 percent in Switzerland, the researchers said in a statement. In Bolivia, Burma, Kenya, Uganda, Indonesia, Honduras and Ecuador, more than 70 percent of respondents said they were paid less than they were before the global public health crisis. In the United States, the figure dropped to 34 percent.

The epidemic crisis has hit the global workforce, and women have been particularly hard hit because they make up a high percentage of the unstable, low-paying sectors such as retail, tourism and food services. A study released by the charity Oxfam on April 29 showed that the epidemic has caused women around the world to lose about $800 billion in income.

The Gallup poll also found that more than half of respondents answered that their jobs or businesses had been suspended, equating to about 1.7 billion adults worldwide who have experienced work stoppages.

In 57 countries, including India, Zimbabwe, the Philippines, Kenya, Bangladesh and El Salvador, more than 65 percent of respondents said they had been out of work for a period of time.

Those least likely to answer that they had been off work were mainly from developed, high-income countries. In Austria, Switzerland and Germany, less than 1 in 10 employed people answered that they had stopped working temporarily. 39% in the United States.

The Gallup survey also shows that 1/3 of respondents lost their jobs or businesses because of the epidemic, which equates to about 1 billion people affected worldwide.

This data also varies by country. In low-income countries such as the Philippines, Kenya and Zimbabwe, more than 60% of respondents lost their jobs or businesses. This compares to only 3% in Switzerland and 13% in the United States.