Who pays the price of unemployment? Employment termination and income security in Myanmar

Since 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 military takeover and surging global commodity prices have significantly impacted the lives of the people of Myanmar. One such impact is employment; despite a slight recovery in the first half of 2022, unemployment and underemployment in Myanmar are reportedly still worse than they were before the pandemic started in 2020.

This study helps understand the mechanism behind employment terminations in Myanmar and the consequences faced by unemployed workers. It identifies who lost jobs, how and why workers and employers terminated employment relationships, and how effectively or ineffectively existing income protection mechanisms have helped workers.