The Socio-Economic Impact of COVID-19 on Households in Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic affected the everyday life of human beings. This study investigates the impact of COVID-19 on six socio-economic dimensions (i.e., food availability, food quality, education, finance, non-payment of utility bills, and sale of assets/goods) in Punjab, Pakistan. Three districts were selected from Punjab province based on two criteria such as (a) geographical variability and (b) intensity of COVID-19. Thus, a total of 1200 respondents were interviewed via convenience sampling from selected Punjab districts (i.e., Faisalabad, Muzaffargarh, and Chakwal). Descriptive statistics showed that most respondents face the adverse socio-economic effects of COVID-19. However, the percentage of strongly agree/ agree was comparatively more for low-educated respondents, while it was comparatively less for high-educated respondents. The percentage of strongly agree/agree comparatively more for low-income respondents, while it was comparatively less for high-income respondents. The percentage of strongly agree/agree comparatively more for private job holders while it was comparatively less for public job holders. The percentage of strongly agree/agree comparatively more for urban households, while it was comparatively less for rural households. The percentage of strongly agree/agree comparatively more in Chakwal while it was comparatively less in Faisalabad. The chi-square () independence test showed a significant role of education, family income, job type, and area of residence on the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19. Therefore, it is recommended to increase educational opportunities and educational standards. Developing a Learning Management System is also suggested to continue education in emergencies. It is recommended to increase the family income through an increase in investment and employment opportunities. The protection of private-sector employees is necessary during the pandemic situation. The government should provide interest-free loans to businesses during an emergency. The government should ensure the vaccination of citizens to control the spread and intensity of the disease. Training of doctors and paramedical staff is necessary to perform duties during the pandemic.