Impact of COVID-19 on Kerala’s GSDP and Employment

The World economy has experienced COVID-19 pandemic since December 2019. It has spread to more than 200 countries in the World. According to World Bank report, COVID-19 recession will be the worst global recession since 1945-46. The pandemic has spread at an unprecedented rate throughout the World. By July 1, 2020, the total cases increased to 107.73 lakh and total death to 5.22 lakh and by September 1, 2020, the total cases went up to 259.08 lakh and 8.65 lakh death. Most of the countries has been implementing lockdown, quarantines and social distancing practices ever since the pandemic has hit the world. Mobility of people both within and outside of the country came to a halt. Operation of all modes of passenger transport – road, rail, water, air – was stopped. People who flew to foreign countries for jobs, studies, business and other purposes were nearly stranded with no other option but to stay back. The pandemic has created a panic situation throughout the World. It created multiple crisis in several fronts such as health, travel, economy, finance, production and output, employment and unemployment, prices, emigration and remittances, fiscal situation of governments etc. The paper particularly analysis the effect of the pandemic on Kerala’s GSDP and employment during the COVID period.