Turkey supports jobs and wages in earthquake-ravaged south

Workers clean the rubble of a collapsed building in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake in Antakya, Hatay province, Turkey, February 21, 2023. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani

ANTAKYA, Turkey (Reuters) - Turkey launched a temporary wage support scheme on Wednesday and banned layoffs in 10 cities to protect workers and businesses from the financial impact of the massive earthquake that hit the south of the country.

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake on Feb. 6 killed more than 47,000 people in Turkey and Syria, damaged or destroyed hundreds of thousands of buildings and left millions homeless.