Women in informal work continue to be disproportionately impacted by COVID-19

Women saw sharper decreases in their average income

However, we observed some signs of improvement

Fewer women informal workers were likely to report not being able to meet their daily needs (-15% in October 2020)

But the need for support is still very important for women and is increasing

Women were more likely to need financial support and food
In line with this, they were still more likely to point to basic needs such as food as a reason for borrowing money
An increasing number reported to reducing their expenditure on food, and was higher compared to overall

Border provinces and tourist hot spots are hardest hit

Provinces near to neighbouring countries faced the consequences of border closures

Informal workers in Pailin, bordering Thailand, saw the greatest reduction in their weekly earnings
As a result, they were increasingly likely to report a reduction in expenditure on essential items like food and household items
In Koh Kong and Banteay Meanchey, 31% reported unemployment, the highest rate among provinces
In Svay Rieng, on the Vietnamese border, weekly earnings for informal workers here reduced by 38% between July 2020 and October 2020

A reduction in tourism is felt acutely in some provinces

Informal workers in Siem Reap continued to see a decline in their weekly earnings, which can be attributed to the increase in those reportedly working fewer days/hours per week
Informal workers in Preah Sihanouk were more likely to report borrowing additional money and saw a sharp increase in the number needing support with food
Workers in both Preah Sihanouk and Siem Reap received a much higher amount of ID Poor – ($75 and $66 respectively)

Persons with disabilities are facing overall negative impacts

18% reported unemployment
They saw a greater reduction in their average weekly earnings from $48 to $40 in October 2020
They saw a reduction in the number receiving ID Poor, but were still more likely to receive it in general

However, there are some signs of improvements

Fewer felt unable to meet their daily needs between July and October 2020
Fewer were likely to report borrowing for the first time between July and October 2020