Lost hours1

In 2020, working hours dropped by 8.8% globally due to cuts in time and job losses. These were on top of an already depressed jobs market.


The pinch

Workers around the world took pay cuts to stay in work, with the lowest paid most affected and women losing more than men.2

Compared with 2019, 108 million more workers now earn less than $3.20 ppp* a day.1


State support

Whereas some wealthy countries could afford wage subsidies, in poorer nations support was much more modest.


Most vulnerable1

Informal workers

Women and youth

Migrant workers

Child labour


Billionaire wealth surge4

* ppp or purchasing power parity – refers not to actual dollars earned, but the purchasing power of local currency earned expressed in dollar terms. Poverty researchers argue that anything less than $7.40 ppp a day is inadequate; whereas the World Bank draws the extreme poverty line at just $1.90 ppp a day.

  1. ILO, World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2021, June 2021, nin.tl/ILO-employ
  2. ILO, Global Wage Report 2020-21, December 2020, nin.tl/ILO-wage
  3. ILO, ‘Child Labour: Global estimates 2020’, nin.tl/ILO-CL
  4. Chuck Collins, ‘Global billionaires see $5.5 trillion wealth surge’, Institute for Policy Studies, 11 August 2021, nin.tl/wealth-surge