Labour Market Dynamics in Post Pandemic Times
Labour Market Dynamics in Post Pandemic Times
December 21, 2022
After a year of an unprecedented economic downturn led by Covid-19 crisis, the Maldivian economy was on a strong path of recovery during 2021. The recovery was largely supported by the re-opening of the country’s border, along with the successful vaccine roll-out and the timely policy responses implemented by the government to keep the economy afloat. Following the strong rebound, the labour market showed a favourable growth and surpassed the pre-pandemic level of employment at the end of 2021. However, the short-term displacement in the labour market and the consequences were sudden and severe, with a significant number of layoffs during the pandemic period. Using the administrative data obtained from the Maldives Pension Administration Office (MPAO) as a proxy to gauge the labour market developments, this research paper intends to explore the changes, job movements, and impact of the pandemic observed in the labour market in pre, during, and post-pandemic times.