Top Asian News 4:25 a.m. GMT

ILO report says Afghan crisis causing massive job losses

BANGKOK (AP) — More than a half million people in Afghanistan have lost their jobs since the Taliban takeover in mid-August, the International Labor Organization said in a report released Wednesday. The ILO said the crisis has paralyzed the economy and slammed the labor market. The situation is especially devastating for women and for people working in farming, government posts, social services and construction, with many people losing their jobs or not receiving their wages. Many companies are hard pressed to stay afloat, as thousands of Afghans flee the country each day. Between 700,000-900,000 jobs are likely to have been lost by June as work becomes more scarce, said the report by the ILO, the United Nations agency working to promote labor standards and decent work for all people.