We Have Promises to Keep...

This was 2.6 to 2.8 times the official toll of 168,959—nationwide—in those two months, during the deadly second wave.

- Dhrubo Jyoti

Livelihoods Saving lives during the pandemic sometimes meant lockdowns, which translated, for so many, into a loss of livelihood.

Except for the April-June quarter of 2020, the unemployment rate continued its downward trajectory. But this is because unpaid work (think, family labour on a subsistence farm) is counted as employment in India.

The loss of livelihoods is, therefore, better captured in data on the qualitative deterioration of jobs. While the proportion of unemployed has decreased, the proportion of unpaid people in the labour force has shot up. This is largely because of a sharp rise in the share of unpaid family workers in the labour force since the pandemic, particularly in agriculture. (See Chart 1)

To be sure, the quality of jobs is now starting to move back towards pre-pandemic levels. In the last six months of 2024, the proportion of unpaid family workers decreased and that of regular wage workers (the highest paid among different categories in the Periodic Labour Force Survey) increased in the urban workforce compared to the year before.

While one would have to wait for data on rural areas to emerge, in order to get a fuller picture, the urban data suggests that something of a reversal has begun.

Learning Lockdowns and bad jobs for adults also affected children's education.

The proportion of rural children not enrolled in school shot up among younger age groups, where this number is usually low. The qualitative deterioration was more widespread. Basic reading skills decreased across different levels, and students shifted from private schools to government ones across age groups. "Covid-caused financial distress" was the most commonly cited reason for this shift. (See Chart 2)