New York, Sept. 7 -- Denied decent work opportunities and highly vulnerable to systemic shocks such as pandemics or economic downturns, workers in Asia and the Pacific are under pressure, according to a report launched on Tuesday by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).

"Our region spends less than half of the global average on social protection," said ESCAP Executive Secretary Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana.

"Almost 60 per cent of the population has no social protection coverage against normal life events such as pregnancy, child-raising, sickness, disability, unemployment or simply getting old".

The 2022 Social Outlook for Asia and the Pacific: The Workforce We Need was released at the seventh session of...