ISLAMABAD:
The 2025 floods may have disrupted or eliminated nearly 3.3 million jobs across Pakistan, with rural livelihoods and agriculture hardest hit, according to a new assessment by the International Labor Organization.
The UN agency said it conducted an assessment of job and livelihood loss in 14 of the most affected districts in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and found that most of the job losses and disruptions were concentrated in nine districts of Punjab.
Rural areas accounted for almost 78 percent of the total job losses, with agriculture being the most affected sector, followed by services and industry.
The assessment is part of the broader Preliminary Flood Damage Assessment 2025, a joint exercise supported by the United Nations, the Asian Development Bank, the European Union and the World Bank, with the United Nations Development Program as the technical coordination lead.
While provincial compensation measures provided immediate relief and support for resettlement, the ILO noted that more comprehensive interventions are needed to restore livelihoods and income-generating activities in the affected regions.
It recommended a recovery package that includes cash-for-work programs, vocational training and subsidized credit to help households restart their farm and non-farm economic activities.
Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resources Development Minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain said the floods had caused serious damage to livelihoods, particularly among self-employed workers, daily wage labourers, smallholder farmers and vulnerable rural households.
He highlighted the need for targeted job recovery and livelihood restoration measures to help communities rebuild.
He added that the ministry, in collaboration with provincial governments, social partners and development organizations, would support employment-intensive recovery initiatives aimed at restoring income sources.
ILO national director for Pakistan Geir Tonstol said rebuilding employment must remain central to recovery efforts.
“The floods have deepened the economic vulnerability of communities that were already at risk. Timely measures are needed to support decent work, income recovery and promote long-term resilience to climate-induced disasters,” he said.
He also called for reviving the World of Work Crisis Response Strategy, developed after the 2022 floods, to ensure future responses are more coordinated, timely and focused on protecting jobs and livelihoods.
The ministry and the ILO reaffirmed their commitment to working with employers’ and workers’ organizations, as well as other stakeholders, to support affected communities through sustainable employment and livelihood recovery programmes.
