The lockdown gave a boost to the gig economy, while it had an “inevitable impact on the vulnerable and informal sector,” the Economic Survey for 2020-21 noted.
“During the period of COVID-19 induced lockdown, the increasing role of the gig economy was evident with significant growth of online retail business,” it stated.
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Gig or platform workers had lacked basic rights and social security till the recent Code on Social Security was introduced. “COVID-19 has exposed the vulnerability of urban casual workers, who account for 11.2% of urban workforce (All-India) as per PLFS, January-March, 2020, a significant proportion of them are supposed to be migrants who were impacted by the lockdown,” the survey noted.
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“In order to incentivise more women to join the labour force, investment in institutional support to affordable and quality child care facilities, paid paternal leave, family-friendly work environment, and support for elderly care needs to be made” besides promoting non-discriminatory norms.
