The Government’s Polıcy Response to The Covıd-19 Pandemıc: its Implıcatıon on Employment Rates of Asean Countrıes

AUTHOR(S)

ROY B. GACUS SOPHREMIANO B. ANTIPOLO

ABSTRACT

—— — The study presented a comprehensive analysis concerning the impact of government policy responses to COVID-19 on employment rates within ASEAN countries. It examined the policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, including containment and closure policies, economic policies, health system policies, and employment rates in different economic sectors, such as agriculture, industry, and services, using descriptive statistics. Also, this study used panel regression analysis to test the policy’s responses and their influence on employment rates across different sectors for quarterly data from 2020 to 2022. The results revealed that containment and closure measures shifted from less stringent to stricter controls in early 2020, followed by a gradual easing of restrictions throughout 2021 and 2022. Economic policies also evolved, with initial limitations giving way to diversified strategies and a decrease in 2022, suggesting a focus on longterm economic recovery. Health system policies showed significant variations but improvements across ASEAN countries, emphasizing the need for sustained efforts. The agriculture sector faced challenges due to movement restrictions and border closures, while government responses had varying degrees of success in mitigating job losses. The industry sector experienced an overall increase, suggesting potentially positive policy impacts. The services sector presented a more complex picture, with some countries showing strong growth and others facing declines. On the other hand, stricter containment and closure policies affected industrial and service employment rates with a slight decrease. In contrast, economic and health system policies did not affect employment rates statistically significantly. While government policies had limited impacts on agriculture, industry, and service employment rates, significant cross-country variations suggest that unobserved country-specific factors may play an important role. This analysis illustrates the complexity of the pandemic’s impacts and the need for tailored policy approaches to address different economic and social challenges effectively. Keywords — ASEAN, containment and closure policies, COVID-19 pandemic, economic policies, employment rates, government policy response, health system policies.