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Abstract
The paper analyzed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on workers and its implications on socioeconomic inequalities in Ghana. Using a qualitative design and data from peer-reviewed journal articles and publications on websites of government and non-governmental organizations, to conduct a narrative literature review, it was revealed that the pandemic had adverse effects on workers in terms of reduction in hours worked, wages, and consumption levels. The review showed that there were heterogeneities in the magnitude of effects of the pandemic across different groups of workers and space. The results show that women workers were more affected by the pandemic than men workers. Further, informal sector workers were more affected than formal sector workers. Also, migrant workers were more afflicted than resident workers. Regarding spatial differences, urban workers in Ghana were more impacted than rural workers in Ghana. Based on the study findings, it is recommended that policymakers target empowerment programs at the vulnerable groups of workers in Ghana. Also, a significant level of infrastructural development is required to bridge the rural-urban divide.
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References
- Abor, P. A., & Abor, J. Y. (2020). Implications of COVID-19 Pandemic for Health Financing System in Ghana. Journal of Health Management, 22(4), 559-569.
- Abrahamson, M. (1973). Functionalism and the functional theory of stratification: an empirical assessment. American Journal of Sociology, 78(5), 1236-1246.
- Aduhene, D. T., & Osei-Assibey, E. (2021). Socio-economic impact of COVID-19 on Ghana's economy: challenges and prospects. International Journal of Social Economics, 48(4), 543-556.
- Afulani, P. A., Gyamerah, A. O., Nutor, J. J., Laar, A., Aborigo, R. A., Malechi, H., ... & Awoonor-Williams, J. K. (2021). Inadequate preparedness for response to COVID-19 is associated with stress and burnout among healthcare workers in Ghana. PloS one, 16(4), e0250294.
- Ahinkorah, B. O., Hagan Jr, J. E., Ameyaw, E. K., Seidu, A. A., & Schack, T. (2021). COVID-19 Pandemic Worsening Gender Inequalities for Women and Girls in Sub-Saharan Africa. Frontiers in Global Women's Health, 2.
- Akuoko, P. B., Aggrey, V., & Amoako-Arhen, A. (2021). Ghana’s informal economic sector in the face of a pandemic. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 3(1), 100094.
- Alon, T. M., Doepke, M., Olmstead-Rumsey, J., &Tertilt, M. (2020). The impact of COVID-19 on gender equality. National Economic Research.
- Andersen, K. G., Rambaut, A., Lipkin, W. I., Holmes, E. C., & Garry, R. F. (2020). The proximal origin of SARS-CoV-2. Nature medicine, 26(4), 450-452.
- Antwi-Boasiako, J., Abbey, C. O. A., Ogbey, P., & Ofori, R. A. (2021). Policy Responses to fight COVID-19; the case of Ghana. Revista de Administração Pública, 55, 122-139.
- Asante, L. A., & Mills, R. O. (2020). Exploring the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 pandemic in marketplaces in urban Ghana. Africa Spectrum, 55(2), 170-181.
- Benhura, M., & Magejo, P. (2020). Differences between formal and informal workers’ outcomes during the COVID-19 crisis lockdown in South Africa'. National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS)–Coronavirus Rapid Mobile Survey Wave 2 Report No, 2.
- Brooks, M. M., Mueller, J. T., & Thiede, B. C. (2021). Rural-Urban Differences in the Labor-Force Impacts of COVID-19 in the United States. Socius, 7, 23780231211022094.
- Bukari, C., Essilfie, G., Aning-Agyei, M. A., Otoo, I. C., Kyeremeh, C., Owusu, A. A., ... & Bukari, K. I. (2021). Impact of COVID-19 on poverty and living standards in Ghana: A micro-perspective. Cogent Economics & Finance, 9(1), 1879716.
- Carducci, B., Keats, E. C., Ruel, M., Haddad, L., Osendarp, S. J. M., & Bhutta, Z. A. (2021). Food systems, diets and nutrition in the wake of COVID-19. Nature Food, 2(2), 68-70.
- Danquah, M., Schotte, S., & Sen, K. (2019). Informal work in sub-Saharan Africa: Dead end or steppingstone? (No. 2019/107). WIDER Working Paper.
- Durizzo, K., Asiedu, E., Van der Merwe, A., Van Niekerk, A., & Günther, I. (2021). Managing the COVID-19 pandemic in poor urban neighborhoods: The case of Accra and Johannesburg. World Development, 137, 105175.
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- International Organization for Migration (IOM), (2020). The socio-economic impact of COVID-19 on migrants in Ghana.
- Issahaku, H., & Abu, B. M. (2020). COVID-19 in Ghana: Consequences for Poverty, and Fiscal Implications. AERC Working Paper 2021. Nairobi: AERC
- Karpman, M., Zuckerman, S., Gonzalez, D., & Kenney, G. M. (2020). The COVID-19 pandemic is straining families’ abilities to afford basic needs. Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 500.
- Laborde, D., Martin, W., & Vos, R. (2021). Impacts of COVID‐19 on global poverty, food security, and diets: Insights from global model scenario analysis. Agricultural Economics, 52, 375-390
- Liu, Y. C., Kuo, R. L., & Shih, S. R. (2020). COVID-19: The first documented coronavirus pandemic in history. Biomedical journal, 43(4), 328-333.
- Maredia, M.K., Adenikinju, A., Belton, B., Chapoto, A., Faye, N. F., Liverpool-Tasie, S., Olwande, J., Reardon, T., Theriault, V., and Tschirley, D. (2021). COVID-19’s impacts on incomes in urban and rural areas are surprisingly similar: Evidence from five African countries.
- Martin, A., Markhvida, M., Hallegatte, S., & Walsh, B. (2020). Socio-economic impacts of COVID-19 on household consumption and poverty. Economics of Disasters and Climate Change, 4(3), 453–479.
- Nicola, M., Alsafi, Z., Sohrabi, C., Kerwan, A., Al-Jabir, A., Iosifidis, C., ... & Agha, R. (2020). The socio-economic implications of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19): A review. International journal of surgery, 78, 185-193.
- Owusu, L. D., & Frimpong-Manso, K. (2020). The impact of COVID-19 on children from poor families in Ghana and the role of welfare institutions. Journal of Children's Services, 15(4), 185-190
- Phillipson, J., Gorton, M., Turner, R., Shucksmith, M., Aitken-McDermott, K., Areal, F., ... & Shortall, S. (2020). The COVID-19 pandemic and its implications for rural economies. Sustainability, 12(10), 3973.
- Pokhrel, S., & Chhetri, R. (2021). A literature review on impact of COVID-19 pandemic on teaching and learning. Higher Education for the Future, 8(1), 133-141.
- Reichelt, M., Makovi, K., & Sargsyan, A. (2021). The impact of COVID-19 on gender inequality in the labor market and gender-role attitudes. European Societies, 23(sup1), S228-S245.
- Rocha, R., Atun, R., Massuda, A., Rache, B., Spinola, P., Nunes, L., ... & Castro, M. C. (2021). Effect of socioeconomic inequalities and vulnerabilities on health-system preparedness and response to COVID-19 in Brazil: a comprehensive analysis. The Lancet Global Health.
- Schotte, S., Danquah, M., Osei, R. D., & Sen, K. (2021). The labour market impact of COVID-19 lockdowns: Evidence from Ghana. WIDER Working Paper 2021/27. Helsinki: UNU-WIDER.
- Stolzman, J., & Gamberg, H. (1973). Marxist class analysis versus stratification analysis as general approaches to social inequality. Berkeley Journal of Sociology, 105-125.
- Upoalkpajor, J. N., & Upoalkpajor, C. B. (2020). The impact of COVID-19 on education in Ghana. Asian journal of education and social studies, 9(1), 23-33.
- Van Dorn, A., Cooney, R. E., & Sabin, M. L. (2020). COVID-19 exacerbating inequalities in the US. Lancet (London, England), 395(10232), 1243.
- Van Jaarsveld, G. M. (2020). The effects of COVID-19 among the elderly population: a case for closing the digital divide. Frontiers in psychiatry, 11.
- Webb, A., McQuaid, R., & Rand, S. (2020). Employment in the informal economy: implications of the COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 40(9), 1005-1019.
- Wenham, C., Smith, J., & Morgan, R. (2020). COVID-19: the gendered impacts of the outbreak. The lancet, 395(10227), 846-848.
References
Abor, P. A., & Abor, J. Y. (2020). Implications of COVID-19 Pandemic for Health Financing System in Ghana. Journal of Health Management, 22(4), 559-569.
Abrahamson, M. (1973). Functionalism and the functional theory of stratification: an empirical assessment. American Journal of Sociology, 78(5), 1236-1246.
Aduhene, D. T., & Osei-Assibey, E. (2021). Socio-economic impact of COVID-19 on Ghana's economy: challenges and prospects. International Journal of Social Economics, 48(4), 543-556.
Afulani, P. A., Gyamerah, A. O., Nutor, J. J., Laar, A., Aborigo, R. A., Malechi, H., ... & Awoonor-Williams, J. K. (2021). Inadequate preparedness for response to COVID-19 is associated with stress and burnout among healthcare workers in Ghana. PloS one, 16(4), e0250294.
Ahinkorah, B. O., Hagan Jr, J. E., Ameyaw, E. K., Seidu, A. A., & Schack, T. (2021). COVID-19 Pandemic Worsening Gender Inequalities for Women and Girls in Sub-Saharan Africa. Frontiers in Global Women's Health, 2.
Akuoko, P. B., Aggrey, V., & Amoako-Arhen, A. (2021). Ghana’s informal economic sector in the face of a pandemic. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 3(1), 100094.
Alon, T. M., Doepke, M., Olmstead-Rumsey, J., &Tertilt, M. (2020). The impact of COVID-19 on gender equality. National Economic Research.
Andersen, K. G., Rambaut, A., Lipkin, W. I., Holmes, E. C., & Garry, R. F. (2020). The proximal origin of SARS-CoV-2. Nature medicine, 26(4), 450-452.
Antwi-Boasiako, J., Abbey, C. O. A., Ogbey, P., & Ofori, R. A. (2021). Policy Responses to fight COVID-19; the case of Ghana. Revista de Administração Pública, 55, 122-139.
Asante, L. A., & Mills, R. O. (2020). Exploring the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 pandemic in marketplaces in urban Ghana. Africa Spectrum, 55(2), 170-181.
Benhura, M., & Magejo, P. (2020). Differences between formal and informal workers’ outcomes during the COVID-19 crisis lockdown in South Africa'. National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS)–Coronavirus Rapid Mobile Survey Wave 2 Report No, 2.
Brooks, M. M., Mueller, J. T., & Thiede, B. C. (2021). Rural-Urban Differences in the Labor-Force Impacts of COVID-19 in the United States. Socius, 7, 23780231211022094.
Bukari, C., Essilfie, G., Aning-Agyei, M. A., Otoo, I. C., Kyeremeh, C., Owusu, A. A., ... & Bukari, K. I. (2021). Impact of COVID-19 on poverty and living standards in Ghana: A micro-perspective. Cogent Economics & Finance, 9(1), 1879716.
Carducci, B., Keats, E. C., Ruel, M., Haddad, L., Osendarp, S. J. M., & Bhutta, Z. A. (2021). Food systems, diets and nutrition in the wake of COVID-19. Nature Food, 2(2), 68-70.
Danquah, M., Schotte, S., & Sen, K. (2019). Informal work in sub-Saharan Africa: Dead end or steppingstone? (No. 2019/107). WIDER Working Paper.
Durizzo, K., Asiedu, E., Van der Merwe, A., Van Niekerk, A., & Günther, I. (2021). Managing the COVID-19 pandemic in poor urban neighborhoods: The case of Accra and Johannesburg. World Development, 137, 105175.
Ghana Statistical Service (2020). Brief on COVID-19 Households and Jobs Tracker. Ghana Statistical Service.
International Labor Organization (ILO) (2020). ILO Monitor: COVID-19 and the world of work. Second edition. https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/documents/briefingnote/wcms_740877.pdf
International Organization for Migration (IOM), (2020). The socio-economic impact of COVID-19 on migrants in Ghana.
Issahaku, H., & Abu, B. M. (2020). COVID-19 in Ghana: Consequences for Poverty, and Fiscal Implications. AERC Working Paper 2021. Nairobi: AERC
Karpman, M., Zuckerman, S., Gonzalez, D., & Kenney, G. M. (2020). The COVID-19 pandemic is straining families’ abilities to afford basic needs. Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 500.
Laborde, D., Martin, W., & Vos, R. (2021). Impacts of COVID‐19 on global poverty, food security, and diets: Insights from global model scenario analysis. Agricultural Economics, 52, 375-390
Liu, Y. C., Kuo, R. L., & Shih, S. R. (2020). COVID-19: The first documented coronavirus pandemic in history. Biomedical journal, 43(4), 328-333.
Maredia, M.K., Adenikinju, A., Belton, B., Chapoto, A., Faye, N. F., Liverpool-Tasie, S., Olwande, J., Reardon, T., Theriault, V., and Tschirley, D. (2021). COVID-19’s impacts on incomes in urban and rural areas are surprisingly similar: Evidence from five African countries.
Martin, A., Markhvida, M., Hallegatte, S., & Walsh, B. (2020). Socio-economic impacts of COVID-19 on household consumption and poverty. Economics of Disasters and Climate Change, 4(3), 453–479.
Nicola, M., Alsafi, Z., Sohrabi, C., Kerwan, A., Al-Jabir, A., Iosifidis, C., ... & Agha, R. (2020). The socio-economic implications of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19): A review. International journal of surgery, 78, 185-193.
Owusu, L. D., & Frimpong-Manso, K. (2020). The impact of COVID-19 on children from poor families in Ghana and the role of welfare institutions. Journal of Children's Services, 15(4), 185-190
Phillipson, J., Gorton, M., Turner, R., Shucksmith, M., Aitken-McDermott, K., Areal, F., ... & Shortall, S. (2020). The COVID-19 pandemic and its implications for rural economies. Sustainability, 12(10), 3973.
Pokhrel, S., & Chhetri, R. (2021). A literature review on impact of COVID-19 pandemic on teaching and learning. Higher Education for the Future, 8(1), 133-141.
Reichelt, M., Makovi, K., & Sargsyan, A. (2021). The impact of COVID-19 on gender inequality in the labor market and gender-role attitudes. European Societies, 23(sup1), S228-S245.
Rocha, R., Atun, R., Massuda, A., Rache, B., Spinola, P., Nunes, L., ... & Castro, M. C. (2021). Effect of socioeconomic inequalities and vulnerabilities on health-system preparedness and response to COVID-19 in Brazil: a comprehensive analysis. The Lancet Global Health.
Schotte, S., Danquah, M., Osei, R. D., & Sen, K. (2021). The labour market impact of COVID-19 lockdowns: Evidence from Ghana. WIDER Working Paper 2021/27. Helsinki: UNU-WIDER.
Stolzman, J., & Gamberg, H. (1973). Marxist class analysis versus stratification analysis as general approaches to social inequality. Berkeley Journal of Sociology, 105-125.
Upoalkpajor, J. N., & Upoalkpajor, C. B. (2020). The impact of COVID-19 on education in Ghana. Asian journal of education and social studies, 9(1), 23-33.
Van Dorn, A., Cooney, R. E., & Sabin, M. L. (2020). COVID-19 exacerbating inequalities in the US. Lancet (London, England), 395(10232), 1243.
Van Jaarsveld, G. M. (2020). The effects of COVID-19 among the elderly population: a case for closing the digital divide. Frontiers in psychiatry, 11.
Webb, A., McQuaid, R., & Rand, S. (2020). Employment in the informal economy: implications of the COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 40(9), 1005-1019.
Wenham, C., Smith, J., & Morgan, R. (2020). COVID-19: the gendered impacts of the outbreak. The lancet, 395(10227), 846-848.