Bernice Lau
- Jul 17, 2021

The Mark of Covid-19 on the Unemployed and Impoverished

Countless people living in Hong Kong have been affected by the Coronavirus pandemic on numerous different levels, but arguably it is those that are unemployed and in poverty that are struggling the most as the pandemic continues to drag on.

Unemployment rates are increasing rapidly

The number of unemployed in Hong Kong currently sits at 257,000 people, and the unemployment rate is 6.4%. Oxfam Hong Kong states that the number of unemployed from poor households has concerningly reached 110,000 people.

But why and how has this happened?

People from all over Hong Kong work or worked in the business sector. However, many businesses that had flourished and thrived in the past had no choice but to sadly close down due to the lack of consumption as a result of the pandemic. Because of the persistent low level of economic activity (due to both the pandemic and the increase in the unemployed population) in addition to the high cost of rent, their chances of reopening again soon are slim. Now, the many unemployed continue to frantically search for another job, yet this self-perpetuating cycle has made it almost impossible to find another stable source of work.

The worrying growth of those in poverty

Even before the Covid-19 pandemic started, a whopping 1.4 million people (20% of Hong Kong’s population) have been living in poverty. This shocking number had been Hong Kong’s highest poverty rate in over a decade.

Ever since the pandemic began, poverty rates have been continuing to skyrocket further.

Some had still been able to scrape a living before the pandemic, but as a new wave of unemployment hits, it has been harder than ever for many struggling Hong Kongers to put food on the table and a roof over their heads. With no choice, many resort to sleeping on the streets.

How measures to combat Covid-19 disproportionately affected the poor

Policies have been implemented without taking the needs of the lower class into consideration, and the government could definitely be doing more to assist them during these unprecedented times.

For instance, the citizens of Hong Kong were repeatedly instructed to remain home unless necessary to prevent the spread of the virus, but many low-income groups don’t have a comfortable, spacious home to stay in in the first place, making quarantine an even more unpleasant ordeal.

Another policy is the suspension of face-to-face classes for almost a year due to the alarming spread of the coronavirus, which severely affected students that lacked the necessary equipment for online schooling. According to SCMP, a recent study showed that in a survey featuring 900 low-income families, 65% of students didn’t have a suitable computer required for remote schooling, whereas 21% said they lacked Wi-Fi networks.

Though the government provided welfare for those on low incomes, during the period when civil servants were instructed to work from home, Social Welfare Department branches responsible for handling applications for government welfare were closed but for 4-5 days a month. This made the application process long and arduous, drastically decreasing the quality of life of those most in need.

How can I offer more support to low-income groups?

There are multiple charities that provide the poor with food, pandemic essentials, career assistance, and more.