Tour guides, drivers, and construction workers among most affected by Covid-19

Tour guides, occupational drivers and construction workers are among those local employees most affected by the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak, the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) said in a statement yesterday.

From February 17 to March 2, the DSAL claimed to have provided help to local residents in 1,066 occurrences relating to employment services. Some 171 of these workers are occupational drivers. 

The bureau specifically identified the three aforementioned occupations as being more affected by the epidemic.

The DSAL said that the bureau has already held several job-matching fairs for unemployed workers recently. The bureau also organized employment-hiring procedures specifically for tour guides, construction workers and occupational drivers.

The DSAL has also transferred workers’ information to potential employers in order to arrange interviews for the workers. Some 344 interviews were attended by the workers. From these interviews, 204 people were eventually recruited, including 36 construction workers who visited DSAL on February 24 to give accounts of their unemployment situation. 

According to DSAL statistics, 180 construction workers, 19 tour guides, and five occupational drivers successfully found a job through the DSAL service. 

The labor authority claimed that other job seekers were unable to find jobs using these employment assistance procedures because they gave up on interviews, could not be contacted, or their skills did not meet the requirements.

The bureau claimed that it would continue to help unemployed local workers find more employment opportunities.

In order to help local residents get through these difficult times, the DSAT will implement a program aimed at improving workers’ skills.

At the same time, the DSAT said it also hopes that local residents having difficulties in finding the ideal job can adjust their attitudes during the epidemic in order to find employment. JZ