“The COVID-19 pandemic left an indelible mark on the economically disadvantaged segments of India’s laundry industry, primarily comprising small-scale, informal laundry businesses and laundry workers. Here are several key repercussions that unfolded:
Income Erosion: Many in this sector experienced a significant decline in their income due to reduced patronage during the pandemic, impacting their financial stability.
Job Displacements: Job losses were rampant, especially among laundry workers employed in these informal setups, leading to heightened economic vulnerabilities.
Dwindling Demand: As restrictions and health concerns discouraged people from utilizing laundry services, demand dwindled, posing a substantial challenge for small-scale laundry businesses to sustain operations.
Health and Safety Apprehensions: Workers in this sector faced heightened health and safety concerns, given the nature of their work and the risk of virus transmission within cramped working environments.
Uncertainty Prevailed: The pandemic induced a sense of uncertainty across the laundry market, making it difficult for businesses and workers to plan for the future, compounding their challenges.
Here are some of the key effects:
- Loss of Income
- Job Losses
- Reduced Demand
- Health and Safety Concerns
- Uncertainty
These effects underscore the acute vulnerabilities faced by the economically weaker sections of the Indian laundry industry during the COVID-19 crisis.”