World Politics Review:
To Save the Economy From COVID-19, Protect Informal Workers
14 July 2020
In India, the pandemic reportedly tripled the unemployment rate in just three weeks, and the vast majority of those newly unemployed worked were in the informal sector. The government responded by expanding its social assistance program to provide food aid, support to farmers, one-time grants to the elderly and disabled, cash assistance to the poor and assistance to states to bolster construction of new infrastructure.
Yet, according to economist Swati Dhingra, between 62 percent and 85 percent of urban workers will not be able to access funds from the relief package, because they are not enrolled in social security and insurance schemes. The government has no way of reaching them.