Edition: International | Greek
MENU

Home » Business

This is how COVID-19 has impacted workers’ lives around the world

Stress, anxiety and loneliness have increased among working people, according to a new survey, underscoring the ongoing toll of the COVID-19 pandemic

By: EBR - Posted: Tuesday, January 5, 2021

COVID-19 prompted about 30% of employed adults to take a leave of absence, according to a new World Economic Forum-Ipsos survey.
COVID-19 prompted about 30% of employed adults to take a leave of absence, according to a new World Economic Forum-Ipsos survey.

by Emma Charlton*

Stress, anxiety and loneliness have increased among working people, according to a new survey, underscoring the ongoing toll of the COVID-19 pandemic.

More than half of working adults experienced anxiety relating to their job security and stress due to changes in their working patterns, according to a World Economic Forum-Ipsos survey.

With the virus continuing to affect every region of the world, the results shine a light on the widespread disruption to life and show how the effects go beyond physical health, to mental health and everyday working patterns.

Among those able to work from home, family pressures, finding a work-life balance and feelings of loneliness and isolation were cited as increasing as the pandemic disrupted lives and interrupted long-established practices.

Some are affected more than others

While for some, there are upsides to working from home, such as a reduced commute and more personal time, there are also limitations. And much of the global workforce has little or no opportunity to work remotely, with jobs requiring machinery or person-to-person contact.

More than half of the people surveyed between 20 November and 4 December worked from home, while 32% worked longer hours, 32% worked shorter hours, 30% took a leave of absence and 15% left their job.

Others reported falling productivity, working very early in the morning or very late at night and difficulties in getting work done due to inadequate home office set-up.

The report also showed variations from country to country. While around half of respondents said they felt lonely when working remotely, this varied from 75% in Turkey to just 24% in Japan. Most countries showed more than 40% of home workers feeling isolated.

And the findings showed the pandemic is taking its toll on some more than others, with people under age 35, business owners, decision-makers, lower-income workers and women more prone to reporting negative effects on their well-being.

An expensive mental health legacy

COVID-19 is likely to leave a legacy of mental health problems, according to work by the University of Sydney and the World Economic Forum, which explored how past economic crises had a ‘scarring’ effect on the mental health of young people. It suggested that the right interventions and investments could help mitigate the impact.

“The projected cumulative cost of lost productivity associated with psychological distress, hospitalizations and suicide over the period 2020-2025 is estimated at $114 billion,” the researchers, including Jo-An Atkinson, Head of Systems Modelling and Simulation, University of Sydney and Cameron Fox, Project Specialist, Shaping the Future of Health and Healthcare at the Forum, wrote.

The two institutions say there is some opportunity to bring down those costs, with targeted action. Of the interventions simulated, employment programmes were the single most effective strategy for mitigating the adverse mental-health impacts of the COVID-19 crisis.

*Senior Writer, Formative Content
**first published in: www.weforum.org

READ ALSO

EU Actually

Danish social democratic prime minister Mette Frederiksen sometimes tougher on migration than Giorgia Meloni

N. Peter KramerBy: N. Peter Kramer

With her country holding the rotating EU presidency the second half of 2025, Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen is advocating a stronger EU with more defence and less migration

View 04/2021 2021 Digital edition

Magazine

Current Issue

04/2021 2021

View past issues
Subscribe
Advertise
Digital edition

Europe

Greek MEPs demand tariff-free trade in medicines as new deadline looms

Greek MEPs demand tariff-free trade in medicines as new deadline looms

Greek MEPs Papandreou and Tsiodras warn that US pharma tariffs threaten health and supply chains, urging the Commission to react accordingly.

Business

To save the Single Market, bring back Delors’ 1992 playbook

To save the Single Market, bring back Delors’ 1992 playbook

Most people familiar with EU affairs know the single market is a myth. Hailed as the bedrock of the European Union, it was never completed and is now crumbling.

MARKET INDICES

Powered by Investing.com
All contents © Copyright EMG Strategic Consulting Ltd. 1997-2025. All Rights Reserved   |   Home Page  |   Disclaimer  |   Website by Theratron