MIAMI (HCNN) – The FIFA Soccer World Cup, now unfolding in Brazil, will have caused a several-billion dollar loss in productivity to the world economy due to functionaries and workers busy watching World Cup games during office hours around the globe, experts say.
Some figures show that an estimated 1.6 billion dollar loss in productivity will be registered in the US economy alone as a result of the World Cup which has created a huge buzz among fans of Team USA, the US soccer team taking part in the tournament, particularly after the US stunning victory over Ghana in their first standoff.
The number of people arriving late at work or calling sick for work has significant increased, while many others fall asleep in their workplace because they had to stay up late to watch the games which take place in different time zones, such as Europe and Asia.
“I called in sick because as a patriot I want to watch Team USA and support my country with my friends,” said Malia Jackson, a 25-year-old supermarket cashier, in the Miami Dade area.
Others find a way to watch the games in their workplace but their lack of concentration on the job and their distraction also affect negatively workers’ and company’s productivity.
Even though the World Cup will cause a significant loss in productivity, it will have also helped boost some economies and has already created jobs and opportunities for many.
The tournament is organized every four years by the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the Soccer world governing body which more than 200 hundred member countries. However only 32 countries qualified for the final phase of the World Cup.
