Floods may have hit 3.3m jobs: ILO

The 2025 floods may have disrupted or wiped out nearly 3.3 million jobs across Pakistan, with rural livelihoods and agriculture bearing the brunt, according to a new assessment by the International Labour Organisation.

The UN agency said it conducted an employment and livelihoods loss assessment across 14 of the worst-affected districts in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, finding that the bulk of job losses and disruptions were concentrated in nine districts of Punjab.

Rural areas accounted for almost 78 per cent of total employment losses, with agriculture emerging as the hardest-hit sector, followed by services and industry.

The assessment forms part of the broader Preliminary Assessment of 2025 Flood Damages, a joint exercise supported by the United Nations, the Asian Development Bank, the European Union and the World Bank, with the United Nations Development Programme serving as the technical coordination lead.

While provincial compensation measures provided immediate relief and support for resettlement, the ILO noted that more comprehensive interventions are needed to restore livelihoods and income-generating activities in affected regions.

It recommended a recovery package including cash-for-work programmes, skills training, and subsidised credit to help households restart both farm and non-farm economic activities.

Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain said the floods had inflicted severe damage on livelihoods, particularly among self-employed workers, daily wage earners, small farmers and vulnerable rural households.

He stressed the need for targeted employment recovery and livelihood restoration measures to help communities rebuild.

He added that the ministry, in collaboration with provincial governments, social partners and development organisations, would support employment-intensive recovery initiatives aimed at restoring income sources.

ILO Country Director for Pakistan Geir Tonstol said rebuilding employment must remain central to recovery efforts.

"The floods have deepened economic vulnerability for already at-risk communities. There is a need for timely measures that support decent work, income recovery, and promote long-term resilience to climate-induced disasters," he said.

He also called for reviving the World of Work Crisis Response Strategy, developed after the 2022 floods, to ensure future responses are more coordinated, timely and focused on protecting jobs and livelihoods.

The ministry and the ILO reaffirmed their commitment to working with employers' and workers' organisations, as well as other stakeholders, to support affected communities through sustainable employment and livelihood recovery programmes.