The first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic wiped out some six million jobs in the European Union (EU), according to a study, with temporary contractors, young and female workers at times hit harder than in the 2008-09 financial crisis.

The Eurofound study said teleworking, short-time work schemes and other state support helped protect jobs but also meant more people slid into protracted professional inactivity rather than figuring in unemployment statistics.

“There were 5.7m fewer people in employment in the EU by spring 2020 than at the end of 2019, and 6.3m fewer compared with the trend growth that could have been expected before the Covid-19 pandemic,” Eurofound said.