Document Type

Brief

Publication Date

7-15-2020

Abstract

COVID-19 and steps to break the chain of viral transmission led to certain economic challenges that triggered loss in livelihoods and income and constraints on financial resources in Bihar, India. Often, these effects were disproportionately experienced among the most marginalized. The key objective of this study is to assess the loss of income, livelihoods, and jobs among households in Bihar to help with program planning and implementation. Data were gathered May 13–22, 2020, from the existing study cohort of households under the UDAYA study. Interviews were conducted with a total of 794 participant households. About four-fifths of respondents said their households were majorly impacted (completely lost their income/no employment and/or major reduction in income) by the COVID-19 lockdown. Daily wage workers and those involved in private jobs, contractual jobs, and their own personal businesses were the ones largely impacted. As stated in this brief, to reduce economic vulnerabilities at the household level, social-protection coverage must be saturated among the most marginalized households (e.g., low income, low caste, and those whose members lost jobs/income).

DOI

10.31899/pgy15.1070

Language

English

Project

Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic; Understanding the Lives of Adolescents and Young Adults (UDAYA)

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