Although the region's economies and labor markets began to recover in 2021, employment levels and working conditions undeniably changed.

So what happened to the people who lost their pre-pandemic jobs? Are the jobs as "good" as before in terms of pay, hours and access to social security?

By mid-2021, the average employment rate in LAC was 11 percentage points below pre-pandemic levels; workers in Colombia, Panama, Honduras and Chile suffered a large deterioration in their situation.

Women were the most impacted by COVID-19: 38% of women were out of work in mid-2021 versus 17% of men, and significantly more women than men moved from employment to inactivity (about 14 percentage points). However, the most significant job losses were suffered by mothers with young children (0-5 years) (40 %), who have borne the brunt of increased childcare responsibilities and unpaid household chores.

Younger (18-29 years old) and older adults (65+ years old) also suffered higher rates of job loss (29% and 31%, respectively) than their middle-aged (30-54 years old) counterparts (22%). And while most of those younger workers continued to look for a job, more than three-quarters of older workers who stopped working in mid-2021 exited the labor market.

And what has happened to the quality of jobs?

Compared to the pre-pandemic situation, in mid-2021 LAC workers found themselves in a different labor market. A high number of workers moved to microenterprises and self-employment. Weekly hours of paid work decreased and informal work increased.

Translated by: A.M