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Startling Statistics on Job Losses
At the end of December, estimated full-time job losses in 2020 worldwide due to the pandemic was an astounding 225 million; unemployment rose by 1.1 percent. Are we doomed?
This figure was four times greater than the jobs lost during the worldwide financial crisis in 2009!
The number of those who did not register for unemployment topped out at 81 million; they simply disappeared from the workforce.
It appears job losses for women and younger workers were more prevalent than those for men with 5% for women, and 8.7% for workers between the ages of 15 – 24.
In Canada, where I am from, lockdowns and school closures contributed to more than 212,000 job losses in January of this year, with devastating effects on mothers and youths.
And in Mexico, where I am at the moment, according to BBVA Research, over one million formal jobs were lost in the first half of 2020. This was attributed to social distancing, health emergency measures, and the cessation of money-making activities. This is expected to continue into the future.
But the picture isn’t all bleak; employment saw a rise in finance, insurance, and communication fields.
Is Crime on the Rise Because of Covid-19?
Two good friends of mine have expressed concern about rising crime. One has gone so far as to get a gun license and plans to acquire a gun – this is in Canada! Why? Because she doesn’t feel safe! She thinks there will be more crime because of the pandemic, with so many people out of work and turning to crime out of desperation.
The other friend, a health care worker, says she has seen crime rising in her area in London, Ontario.
A 2020 study, “Has COVID-19 Changed Crime? Crime Rates in the United States During the Pandemic” concludes that crime has gone down. This is because of the mass lockdowns and stay-at-home orders.
However, they went on to say that this drop in crime is likely because there is an absence of young offenders committing crimes as a group; lockdowns have removed these groups for the time being.
Battery and homicide crimes, however, have either stayed the same or increased.
Increase in Mental Health Issues Due to Covid?
Is there an increase? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is saying yes; in a June 24-30, 2020 report, there were a considerable number of young adults, minorities, essential workers, and unpaid adult caregivers displaying an increase in mental health issues, drug/substance abuse, and suicidal tendencies.
It was estimated by late June 2020, 40% of U.S. adults struggled with mental health issues or the use of substances. Studies have suggested other countries are facing the same results.
Affect on Higher Education
The Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) conducted a study on 195 College students and COVID-19 with these results.
- 71% had increased levels of stress and anxiety – fear and worry about their health and the health of loved ones contributed to these levels of stress, anxiety, and depression
- 91% experienced negative impacts of the coronavirus
- 89% reported difficulty focusing
- 86% had sleeping issues
- 86% had lesser social interactions due to the distancing rules
- 82% worried about their education (performance)
It was concluded that lockdowns and stay-at-home orders during the pandemic negatively affected those of higher education and that these mental health issues needed to be addressed.
Staying Positive During Job Losses
There is no doubt that trying to stay positive during job losses is very difficult and is not going to change anytime soon. How can you move forward?
If you are not monetarily affected by the pandemic and want to help others, you can always donate – to your community, your favourite business, or those industries that have been hit hard.
If money is an issue, develop a financial plan. Include your income and debts. Make a list of the things you can do without – eating in restaurants, vacations, entertainment, housecleaning, and landscaping assistance. This could also help you to save money for needed future expenditures such as computer equipment or a luxury item such as a trip.
Out of Work Could Mean Something Better
Let’s see if we can figure out a better way to stay employed.
No one wants to be out of work or suffer job losses, nor should they be unless by choice. Just remember though, if you are out of work and not using your time to make a better future, you will still be in the same position (or rut) no matter how much time goes by. So what can you do in the meantime?
Online Businesses to Replace Job Losses
What if you could learn how to make an income working from home with your laptop? Would you be interested?
Before I tell you there is a way, let’s take a look at some very real statistics about the online world.
- There are over 4 billion Internet users, worldwide
- There are 1.95 billion websites
- 3.2 billion internet users also use social media
- 33% use WordPress for their websites
- 51.6 million use mobile phones
- Online reviews and recommendations are searched by 55% before a buying decision is made
- 59% of Millennials (those born between 1981 – 1996) choose Amazon over any other website
- By 2040, it is estimated that 95% of purchases will be made through eCommerce
- 71% percent believe they will get a better deal online
What Does This Mean for You?
Remember when I asked you if you would be interested in learning how to make an income working from home, with your laptop/computer? Well, here’s how.
It all begins here! Wealthy Affiliate! This is an online community with beginners in mind, helping you along the way as you create your niche website and make money online. The business model used is Affiliate Marketing.
What is Affiliate Marketing
Simply explained, it is promoting other people’s products and getting paid in commissions. Sounds good, right?
What I love about affiliate marketing is this-I don’t have to have an inventory of other people’s products to promote them! No garage or basement full of products that were paid with hard-earned money, gathering dust!!
Consider Affiliate Marketing with Wealthy Affiliate
- Possibility of earning passive income – this is income earned through your website while you are sleeping, travelling, or spending quality time with family.
- You set the schedule – especially if you are working a part-time job – you set the hours when you are available to work on your online business without a boss over your shoulder telling you what to do.
- No inventory – this is not MLM. You won’t have to stock inventory or even go door-to-door selling!
- Step-by-Step training provided – no experience needed!
Let me summarize the steps you need to take. Remember, as with anything worthwhile in life, if you don’t put your ‘all’ into it, you won’t reap the rewards. In other words, you have to be willing to put in the time and the work. And also remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day!
Step 1: Choose your niche – What are you passionate about? What makes you get up in the morning? Do you have experience/knowledge of it? Would other people be willing to pay you for your expertise or the products you promote? You don’t have to be an expert, to begin with. This will come later. What is important is taking some action!
Step 2: Create a plan – Figure out how much time you have and when you can spend that time, on building your business. Set aside that time every day (or as consistently as possible), even if it is only a few hours a day. To begin with, you should create posts (content) about your topic. Consistency is key.
Step 3: Create your FREE website – learn how to build a website in 4 easy steps.
Step 4: Search for the Affiliate Products you want to promote – these should be relevant to your niche and profitable. What are people buying? Check out Google and Amazon for ideas.
Step 5: Get some traffic to your site – You will need to drive traffic to your site, where your affiliate links are; this can be either free (through search engines such as Google) or paid (as in advertisements).
Step 6: Make some money – the whole point of affiliate marketing is to make some sales and get paid in the process.
FREE VS PAID
Joining the FREE program at Wealthy Affiliate will point you in the right direction. It is how I started although I switched to paid after 4 lessons because I couldn’t wait to learn more! Let’s face it, you can spend hours on the internet looking for free stuff but who has the time and patience? With paid training, you will be able to have a systematic approach, measure your progress, avoid the many scams out there, and have support every step of the way.
Cost Comparison with a Cup of Coffee
Just for fun, I checked out the average price of one coffee per day from three popular companies. Let’s see how they compare with the cost to join Wealthy Affiliate.
The average cost of a coffee/tea per day (U.S.)
Starbucks: $2.75 to $3.25 (depending on where)
McDonald’s: $1.00 (small) and $1.69 (large)
Tim Horton: $1.59 (small) and $1.99 (large)
Now, these are just regular coffees – what if you go for the more decadent? Definitely more money! What if you throw in a treat with that?? See how the price of that coffee is adding up!
Now let’s look at the cost of a Membership with Wealthy Affiliate.
Monthly: $49
Average cost per day: $1.63
Yearly: $359
Cost per day: $ .98 (that’s right, 98 cents)
Now, I am not saying you should give up coffee. Heaven forbid! I am a HUGE fan of coffee, BUT I don’t buy it at Starbucks, McDonald’s, or Tim Horton’s every day. Instead, I bought a coffee pot and make my own. Much cheaper in the long run. When we travel, I make sure there is a coffee pot available wherever we are staying.
What I am saying is, you can spend the same amount of money per day as you would on that cup of coffee but you are investing long-term in your future. Affiliate marketing might be the vehicle to help you secure that future.
Need More Proof?
Ordinary people, like you and me, have made success in their online businesses by using Wealthy Affiliate as their starting point. Check out their stories. I hope they will inspire you.
This huge community is here to help answer your questions and support you every step of the way.
Have you or someone you know been affected by job losses due to the pandemic? Have you had to make sacrifices? What are your long-term goals to secure your financial well-being? Let us know in the comments below.
