Physical to virtual: challenges and opportunities for a neighbourhood-based employment support initiative

PurposeThis paper aims to explore challenges and opportunities of shifting from physical to virtual employment support delivery prompted by the Covid-19 pandemic. It investigates associated changes in the nature and balance of support and implications for beneficiary engagement with programmes and job search.Design/methodology/approachThe study draws on longitudinal interviews conducted with beneficiaries and delivery providers from a neighbourhood-based employment support initiative in an English region with a strong manufacturing heritage between 2019 and 2021. The initiative established prior to the Covid-19 pandemic involved a strong physical presence locally but switched to virtual delivery during Covid-19 lockdowns.FindingsMoving long-term to an entirely virtual model would likely benefit some beneficiaries closer to or already in employment. Conversely, others, particularly lone parents, those further from employment, some older people and those without computer/Internet access and/or digital skills are likely to struggle to navigate virtual systems. The study emphasises the importance of blending the benefits of virtual delivery with aspects of place-based physical support.Originality/valuePrevious studies of neighbourhood-based employment policies indicate the benefits of localised face-to-face support for transforming communities. These were conducted prior to the Covid-19 pandemic and the more widespread growth of virtual employment support. This study fills a gap regarding understanding the challenges and opportunities for different groups of beneficiaries when opportunities for physical encounters decline abruptly and support moves virtually.

Japan's unemployment rate hike amid the COVID-19 pandemic – why was it so mild?

This essay is a flash report on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Japan's labour market in the fiscal year 2020 wherein Japan's unemployment rate increase was much milder than in other G7 countries. How was such a favourable outcome achieved? To answer this question, this essay analyses primary statistics to show that the main contributing factors were the swift cut of labour hours and the rapid increase in coronavirus-related paid leave. The latter factor is due primarily to an expanded labour policy measure. Generous policy measures to support corporate finance were also effective in maintaining general financial stability and preventing an increase in failures in the fiscal year 2020.

The Adequacy of Nigeria, South Africa and Other Sub-Saharan Countries' Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic and Unemployment

The measures taken by the governments of the sub-Saharan states, especially in Nigeria and South Africa, in a bid to curb the spread of the dreaded corona virus (COVID-19) are discussed in this article. It is submitted that measures such as social distancing and lockdown of businesses exacerbated the existing problem of unemployment in sub-Saharan countries. Accordingly, this article analyzes the adequacy of the relevant laws and policies that were adopted by the governments of selected sub-Saharan African countries, namely, Nigeria and South Africa in a bid to stimulate the economy and to reduce unemployment in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nigeria and South Africa were selected because they are amongst the largest economies in sub-Saharan Africa. The authors argue that the governments of Nigeria and South Africa should adopt and enforce pragmatic policies that are backed by appropriate legislation to combat the huge unemployment rate which was worsened by the advent of COVID-19. The article highlights that the problem of unemployment in Nigeria and South Africa must be addressed through adequate review of the employment policies, finance policies, educational curriculum and other related policies. It further recommends the review of the empowerment and socio-economic policies of these countries in order to prevent restlessness, riots and poverty-related protests that are induced by massive unemployment of the youth, women and other marginalized persons in Nigeria and South Africa.

Family Relationships at the Time of COVID-19: the Perspective of the Italian Sociological Review

The pandemic highlighted social processes that were unknown to many citizens. Not only did it reveal the high level of interdependency between nations and continents but also the marked disparity between the beneficiaries and victims of globalization. Some countries were provided with tangible proof of their underlying fragility, especially in terms of their economies and access to resources (such as vaccines). The gulf between rich and poor nations was also underlined, as well as domestic poverty gaps. Inequality and injustice emerged with all their tragic overtones. It is necessary to come to terms with, rather than cancel, the past in order to imagine a different future, also as far as the family is concerned. The analysis of the research data shows that Italian households adopted coping strategies during the lockdown. Financially speaking, they drew on their savings and reduced certain forms of consumption, while couples - above all women - tackled the emergency by buckling down to care work and family responsibilities. The social and relational repercussions of all this have yet to be fully considered. In light of these remarks, envisioning the future of the current and new generations becomes a high-stakes game. Pursuing the dynamics triggered by the pandemic will herald a return to the traditional family model with the wife-mother as homemaker or homeworker and the husband-father employed in flexible work with little security (meaning also a family with fewer financial resources that can invest less in the care, upbringing, and education of children). The alternative is to rethink social policies. In this way, reinvestment in public services for childcare, healthcare, and welfare, as well as in labour policies, will ensure the survival of the various forms of family as the sphere of daily life where new generations learn justice and respect for others despite their diversity.

Young Women, Employment and Precarity: The Face of Two Periods of Crisis in Spain (2008-2021)

Youth employment in Spain is characterised by temporary contracts, part-time jobs, and low wages, a long-standing situation that has been further accentuated since the 2008 crisis, placing young people, especially women, in a position of vulnerability at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through different data, this article argues that young women's working conditions have deteriorated in comparison to those of previous generations and young men, in a period in which there have been two crises that have affected youth employment. Linking the results with the main youth employment policies allows us to observe why the precarisation of Spanish youth has not been stopped.

CAN LABOUR POLICY REFORMS BE A PANACEA FOR INDIA'S UNEMPLOYMENT PROBLEM?

Unemployment situation in India has become a matter of serious concern over the last many years. However, it is not the Covid-induced impact on unemployment that is being talked about here. The deterioration of India's employment scenario began around 2011-12 long before the onset of Covid and by 2017-18 it turned grave. There are some deep-rooted policy issues which are responsible for the deterioration of India's employment scenario and some fundamental policy changes are required for tackling them. This article takes a look at these issues and tries to assess whether the recent changes in the labour policy can become the panacea by taking care of these issues.

DIFFERENTIAL EFFECTS OF THE LOCKDOWN ON LABOUR MARKET OUTCOMES. EVIDENCE FOR AN EMERGING ECONOMY

COVID-19 created a market reconfiguration scenario: the match between supply and demand was disrupted due to social distancing measures. This investigation provides empirical evidence on the impacts of the pandemic on unemployment, wages, hours worked, and recent unemployment in an emerging economy like Colombia. The pandemic does not substantially amplify the negative / regrettable variation of the variables as it is due to a structural problem. Using a difference-indifference models and the Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition, the results suggest that lockdown did not intensify unemployment or the reduction of wages for women, but it did for young people and in the artistic activities sector. So, strengthening fragile sectors and jobs is identified as the labour policy commitment to implement.

Remote Work "Reasonable"? Why the COVID-19 Pandemic Calls for a Reinterpretation of the "Reasonable Accommodation" Standard, and How Companies Can Respond

Headrick discusses the effects of the shift to telework on individuals who are disabled. While telework presents exciting opportunities for some individuals who are disabled, it also threatens to isolate others - disabled and not - from the workforce, or from their own companies and co-workers. In order for any accommodation to become reasonable, it cannot unduly burden fellow workers, and so it is key that moving forward employers and employees keep an open mind as to what may in fact be a reasonable accommodation. Employers should consider both the effects of telework on physically and mentally impaired individuals, as well as employees who are not disabled. Providing training on accommodations to all employees and supporting nondisabled employees' decision to telework may be one way of promoting a mutually beneficial workplace, but at the same time employers should remain free to choose the work format that works best for them and their teams.

COVID-19 in Latin America: The effects of an unprecedented crisis on employment and income.

In 2020, Latin America was gripped by an unprecedented labour crisis brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. This article analyses the pandemic's impact on employment and income dynamics, and the policies implemented by the countries in the region. Findings point to a severe contraction in employment, working hours and income in consequence of the sharp decline in economic activity. These impacts have fostered inequalities, and the pathway to recovery is widening employment and income gaps between different population groups.