CamEd Open Access Repository

Hoy Chanbormey, Huy Varene, Khou Techchung, Mao Sokanha, and Sophea Pichmoninea
CamEd Business School, Cambodia

International Research Symposium
2021, pp. 67 – 76

DOI: https://doi.org/10.62458/CamEd/OAR/Symposium/2021/67-76

INTRODUCTION

As of 2020, business plans, studying, traveling, working-life have been completely ruined by an infectious disease called “COVID-19” which took their first spotlight in Wuhan, China. Since it is a disease that could heavily infect the lungs, it can spread more easily and much worse and faster than expected. Consequently, many schools, restaurants, movie theaters, and other public places have been closed. With fear and concern, people have to practice social distancing, washing their hands, wearing masks, and avoiding the crowds. In the worst-case scenario, some cities were in lockdown due to immoderate cases going up. In terms of the marketplace, when everything is closed, the demands for maty products and services including clothing started to shrink significantly in the first few months. Therefore, companies, corporations, and local businesses whether they were medium or large, it somehow affected them in various ways. Some enterprises had a hard time making meet ends struggling to survive and some are encountering bankruptcy. Ever since COVID-19 existed, not only has it affected people’s lives, it also affects the nation as a whole. It is quite worrisome that most of the fundamental sectors in Cambodia such as the garment, tourism, agriculture, and transport have now run into numerous difficulties. Regarding transportation, neither imports nor exports are being traded, some countries even closed their borders for their safety. Not to mention tourism where some airlines have declared bankruptcy because tourists are nowhere to be found. The garment [actories in Cambodia and across Southeast Asia were also severely alfected by the pandemic. ‘I’he majority of the population in impoverished countries are mostly blue-collar workers because they have limited access to education, which is the reason why Europe or any other parts of the world like having their products being made here with low wages provided and they can make more profits. However, with the demands from Europe and other parts of the world diminished, these workers are facing massive layoffs and the unemployment rate, especially in developing countries such as Cambodia increased dramatically.

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