The global job market will take longer to recover than previously thought, with unemployment set to remain above levels seen before COVID-19 until at least 2023 due to uncertainty about the pandemic's course and duration, the International Labour Organization said in a report Monday.
The U.N. agency estimates the equivalent of around 52 million fewer jobs in 2022 versus pre-coronavirus levels, which amounts to about double its previous estimate from June 2021.
Disruptions are set to continue into 2023, when there will still be around 27 million fewer jobs, it said, warning of a "slow and uncertain" recovery in its World Employment and Social Outlook report for 2022.