Labor ministers from the Group of 20(G20) major economies have agreed to protect those in vulnerable groups of society amid an employment crisis due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

In a joint statement adopted following a video conference on Thursday, the ministers said workers are facing the threat of losing jobs, reduced work hours and income from economic inactivity and lockdowns in response to the pandemic.

Stressing the need to prevent an expansion of inequality in the job market, the ministers vowed to guarantee flexibility and reliability in social security systems to provide appropriate support to all laborers, regardless of their type of employment, age or gender.

The participants also pledged to seek ways to support employers who keep jobs for workers during the crisis, including subsidies, loans and tax deductions.

Referring to how South Korea is dealing with the employment crisis, South Korea's Labor Minister Lee Jae-kap highlighted the need to expand social safety nets to assist vulnerable groups that are hit the hardest by the pandemic.