Coronavirus pandemic to test China's unemployment safety net

People wearing face masks to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) wait at an entrance to a labour arbitration office in Beijing, China April 9, 2020. - Reuters

BEIJING: The coronavirus pandemic is expected to cause millions more people in China to lose their jobs, leaving many of them stranded without a safety net, unable to access state unemployment benefits, economists say.

The rapid spread of the disease around the world has dashed hopes for a quick recovery in China, where the virus first emerged. Analysts expect nearly 30 million job losses this year due to stuttering work resumptions and plunging global demand, outpacing the 20-plus million layoffs during the 2008-09 financial crisis.