2021 LAC HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEYS Result Briefs Phase II, Round 1 - 2021 April 2022 COVID-19 IN LAC ARGENTINA 2021 LAC HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEYS: Results Phase II, Wave 1 April 2022 The COVID-19 pandemic hit when Argentina was struggling with historical macroeconomic imbalances and rising poverty. It accelerated a two-year economic contraction, leading to a deep fall in GDP in 2020 of 9.9 percent. Recovery during 2021 was solid but heterogeneous across sectors. GDP is expected to reach its pre-pandemic level by the end of 2022. A year and a half into the pandemic, 23.5 percent of workers had lost their pre-pandemic job: 17.1 percent of pre-pandemic workers left the labor force altogether, and 6.4 percent became unemployed. The impact of job losses was more frequent for women, youth (ages 18- 25), the elderly (age 65+), and workers with lower education levels. Indeed, 32.3 percent of female workers reported having lost their job, and three-quarters of them left the labor market altogether. This labor force departure was accompanied by a transition of 33.1 percent of those previously inactive into activity. Among the new active, 42.8 percent were women and 34.9 percent were men with primary or secondary education. Most of the new active (61.7 percent) were able to secure a job, mostly informal, at the time of the survey. In mid- 2021, they represented 8.9 percent of the employed and 41.2 percent of the unemployed. Also, 9.8 percent of pre-pandemic formal employees transited to informal jobs during the pandemic, and the proportion was higher for low- skilled workers. And the employed population reported working fewer hours per week on average (38.8 vs. 35.6 hours). In addition, a higher time demand for household and care responsibilities restricted the time spent on productive activities, especially for women. The increase in time spent supporting children’s education and schoolwork was the highest in the region, with 70.2 percent of women reporting an increase in the time spent accompanying children’s education, compared to 45.5 percent of men. In terms of connectivity, internet use for remote work was around the regional average, and 61.1 percent of households with a connection at home (70.2 percent of all households) reported having problems with internet services due to poor access, quality, or speed. Low service quality affected the poorer families more intensely. All these impacts had adverse effects on household income across the country. The vertical and horizontal expansion of government social transfers appears to have been relatively effective in cushioning income losses. By June 2021, 32.2 percent of households had received emergency government transfers. Still, 38.8 percent of households reported their income remained below pre-pandemic levels. Poorer families were disproportionally affected. The survey found that 46.6 percent of households holding one or no assets reported an income decline, compared to 37.6 percent of households with three or more assets. Also, the percentage of households experiencing food insecurity doubled compared to pre-pandemic levels. In June 2021, 20.0 percent of households reported running out of food in the 30 days preceding the survey. In terms of education, even though a relatively high number of children (74.9 percent) in the country were engaged in learning activities with direct interaction with a teacher, only 19.7 percent attended school in person. JOB LOSS (% OF PRE-PANDEMIC WORKERS) HOUSEHOLDS (%) WITH REDUCED INCOME 50% 40% 45% 40% 30% 35% 30% 25% 20% 20% 15% 10% 10% 5% 0% 0% Overall Urban HH with elderly 65+ 0-1 assets Rural HH with children 0-17 Secondary 3+ assets HH w/o children 2 assets Tertiary or more Primary or less Age [18-24] Age [25-54] Age [55-64] Age [65+] Male Urban Female Rural Secondary Female w/ children (0-12 yo) Tertiary and more Primary or less Female w/ children (0-5 yo) Area HH composition Level of education of HH possession of the HH assets Overall Area Gender Age group Education level % who were employed pre-pandemic and left labor force % who were employed pre-pandemic and now unemployed Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: INDIVIDUALS (18+ years old) Childcare Labor Health Finance responsibilities % of inactive % of employed % of population who Distribution among groups population (pre- % of population who population (pre- % of formal workers is not planning to get pandemic) who spent more time % of population using pandemic) who lost (pre-pandemic) who vaccinated or unsure became active accompanying mobile wallets their pre-pandemic became informal (vaccination (employed or children's education job hesitancy) unemployed) Overall 23.5% 33.1% 9.8% 59.5% 10.8% 35.1% Rural 22.0% 24.4% 10.5% 47.2% 15.8% 24.6% Urban 23.7% 34.8% 9.7% 62.3% 10.0% 36.8% Females 32.3% 27.4% 7.6% 70.2% 11.9% 30.2% Males 15.9% 44.3% 11.2% 45.5% 9.6% 40.3% 18 to 25 years old 33.7% 62.0% 13.8% 46.9% 17.0% 56.9% 26 to 45 years old 22.2% 60.0% 9.5% 68.7% 13.7% 41.9% 46 to 64 years old 17.9% 14.7% 9.7% 52.5% 6.7% 24.6% 65 and older 35.8% 3.6% 6.7% 24.0% 3.6% 9.7% Primary or less 26.0% 8.8% 21.1% 45.8% 14.8% 15.1% Secondary 26.3% 44.1% 11.1% 61.2% 11.3% 34.6% Tertiary and more 15.7% 36.9% 3.7% 68.7% 6.1% 54.4% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: HOUSEHOLDS AND CHILDREN Income Food Insecurity Education (6-17 yo) Connectivity % HH that received % of children in % HHs that had Distribution among groups % HH that report a % of children in school Emergency school age who problems with reduction in total % HHs that ran out of age who attended Government interacted with internet service due income (current v. pre- food (last 30 days) school (in person or Transfers during the teacher (in-person or to poor access quality pandemic) virtually) pandemic online classes) / speed Overall 38.8% 32.2% 20.0% 93.9% 74.9% 61.1% Rural 28.8% 31.2% 27.8% 95.6% 79.9% 66.9% Urban 40.6% 32.3% 18.7% 93.6% 73.9% 60.6% HH w/o children (0-17) 38.8% 24.4% 14.6% - - 59.4% HH with children (0-17) 38.8% 41.9% 26.8% 93.9% 74.9% 63.3% HH with elderly (65+) 38.9% 22.2% 11.4% 86.7% 73.7% 55.4% 0-1 assets 46.6% 36.8% 36.6% 85.6% 53.7% 76.5% 2 assets 38.4% 40.4% 29.4% 90.8% 69.7% 59.9% 3+ assets 37.6% 26.9% 12.1% 96.1% 79.6% 60.6% HH education - Primary or less 35.9% 38.8% 28.1% 92.7% 68.4% 60.2% HH education - Secondary 44.4% 35.4% 22.2% 94.7% 74.5% 58.2% HH education - Tertiary or more 34.3% 21.3% 9.2% 93.3% 82.2% 64.3% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEY The World Bank and UNDP conducted a multi-wave High-Frequency Phone Survey (HFPS) in 2021 to assess the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the welfare of Latin American and Caribbean households. The first wave was collected between May and July 2021, and the data is nationally representative for 24 countries: Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Lucia and Uruguay. The data for Brazil was collected between July 26 and October 1. The HFPS provides information on the welfare impacts that households experienced with respect to food insecurity, changes in employment, income changes, access to health and education services, and coping mechanisms. Key indicators on socioeconomic effects are available at the COVID-19 monitoring global dashboard, which provides 96 harmonized indicators across 50 countries in Latin America and the world. For further information, see World Bank and UNDP (2021). Produced by the World Bank Group and UNDP. Contacts for additional information: Lourdes Rodriguez Chamussy, World Bank Group (lchamussy@worldbank.org) Claudio Tomasi, UNDP (Claudio.tomasi@undp.org; policyresponse.lac@undp.org ) COVID-19 IN LAC ANTIGUA & BARBUDA 2021 LAC HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEYS: Results Phase II, Wave 1 April 2022 Social distancing measures to reduce the spread of the virus in Antigua and Barbuda have had overwhelming economic and social impacts in specific sectors such as tourism and hospitality, where women are disproportionally represented. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a GDP reduction of 20.2 percent, one of the worst in the region. Recovery has been slow, with an estimated increase in GDP of just 1.0 percent during 2021. At the time of the survey, 15.2 percent of the previously employed workers had lost their pre-pandemic job, and about half of them had left the labor force altogether. Job loss was highest among individuals with primary education or less (24.3 percent). Among the new inactive, 74.0 percent are women across all age ranges and education levels, two-thirds of whom do not have children under 18. Most salient, however, is the share of previously inactive people who entered the labor force during the pandemic (36.1 percent). The newly active population represents 4.2 percent of the currently employed workers and 22.6 percent of the unemployed. The pandemic also pushed formal workers into informality—nearly 7 percent of workers in formal employment before the crisis became informal. At the time of the survey, workers 65 and older and workers with primary education or less were more prone to transiting into informality than younger cohorts and those with higher education levels. Income reductions and food insecurity in Antigua and Barbuda have been severe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Almost 1 in every 2 households (47.2 percent) reported a reduction in total income compared to its pre-pandemic level. Families with fewer assets – a proxy of vulnerability – and less educated heads were the most affected by income reductions, at 57.8 and 50.9 percent, respectively. Food insecurity tripled during the pandemic, affecting a large share of the population. Almost a third of households (30.4 percent) said they had run out of food at least once in the 30 days before the survey. Again, households with fewer assets and less educated heads were more prone to report this. At the time of the survey, 95.2 percent of school-age children were attending school, either in person or virtually, and 93.9 percent had been engaged in learning activities involving direct interaction with a teacher. The widespread in-person school attendance explains this high share (97.2 percent of children enrolled were attending classes in person in mid-2021). School closures were limited in Antigua and Barbuda at the time of the survey. More than a fifth of the population (22.8 percent) was unwilling or unsure about getting vaccinated, with some variation across age groups. Younger people, those of ages 18-25 in particular, were more likely to report vaccine hesitancy (28.7 percent) compared to their older counterparts 65+ (19.0 percent). This result may be related to the vaccination roll-out across cohorts. JOB LOSS (% OF PRE-PANDEMIC WORKERS) HOUSEHOLDS (%) WITH REDUCED INCOME 70% 40% 60% 30% 50% 40% 20% 30% 20% 10% 10% 0% 0% Overall HH with elderly 65+ 0-1 assets Secondary 3+ assets HH w/o children HH with children 0-17 Tertiary or more 2 assets Primary or less Age [18-24] Age [25-54] Age [55-64] Age [65+] Male Female Female w/ children (0-12 yo) Secondary Primary or less Tertiary and more Female w/ children (0-5 yo) HH composition Level of education of the HH possession of assets HH Overall Gender Age group Education level % who were employed pre-pandemic and left labor force % who were employed pre-pandemic and now unemployed Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: INDIVIDUALS (18+ years old) Childcare Labor Health Finance responsibilities % of employed % of inactive % of population who Distribution among groups population (pre- population (pre- % of population who % of formal workers is not planning to get pandemic) who lost pandemic) who spent more time % of population using (pre-pandemic) who vaccinated or unsure their pre-pandemic became active accompanying mobile wallets became informal (vaccination job (employed or children's education hesitancy) unemployed) Overall 15.2% 36.1% 6.5% 58.7% 22.8% - Females 22.4% 29.4% 7.4% 65.9% 22.1% - Males 7.9% 52.6% 5.5% 45.9% 23.7% - 18 to 25 years old 13.7% 54.7% 9.6% 43.8% 28.7% - 26 to 45 years old 13.7% 59.9% 4.7% 76.5% 27.5% - 46 to 64 years old 13.9% 30.5% 6.0% 35.8% 14.9% - 65 and older 32.3% 13.7% 24.8% 28.0% 19.0% - Primary or less 24.3% 44.0% 13.5% 39.2% 24.4% - Secondary 18.0% 38.1% 6.9% 54.9% 25.7% - Tertiary and more 7.9% 28.8% 4.0% 70.9% 18.1% - Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: HOUSEHOLDS AND CHILDREN Income Food Insecurity Education (6-17 yo) Connectivity % HH that received % of children in % HHs that had Distribution among groups % HH that report a % of children in school Emergency school age who problems with reduction in total % HHs that ran out of age who attended Government interacted with internet service due income (current v. pre- food (last 30 days) school (in person or Transfers during the teacher (in-person or to poor access quality pandemic) virtually) pandemic online classes) / speed Overall 47.2% 24.8% 30.4% 95.2% 93.9% 65.9% HH w/o children (0-17) 39.2% 19.6% 23.3% - - 61.5% HH with children (0-17) 57.0% 31.1% 39.0% 95.2% 93.9% 70.2% HH with elderly (65+) 43.4% 23.3% 22.8% 96.7% 94.1% 69.4% 0-1 assets 57.8% 27.5% 51.0% 100.0% 100.0% 62.8% 2 assets 46.2% 29.4% 37.9% 91.9% 91.9% 57.3% 3+ assets 44.7% 21.8% 20.7% 95.6% 93.8% 68.6% HH education - Primary or less 46.0% 31.2% 43.1% 90.6% 90.6% 65.2% HH education - Secondary 50.9% 25.0% 36.8% 96.3% 95.3% 63.3% HH education - Tertiary or more 40.9% 19.0% 13.4% 95.0% 93.5% 68.7% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEY The World Bank and UNDP conducted a multi-wave High-Frequency Phone Survey (HFPS) in 2021 to assess the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the welfare of Latin American and Caribbean households. The first wave was collected between May and July 2021, and the data is nationally representative for 24 countries: Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Lucia and Uruguay. The data for Brazil was collected between July 26 and October 1. The HFPS provides information on the welfare impacts that households experienced with respect to food insecurity, changes in employment, income changes, access to health and education services, and coping mechanisms. Key indicators on socioeconomic effects are available at the COVID-19 monitoring global dashboard, which provides 96 harmonized indicators across 50 countries in Latin America and the world. For further information, see World Bank and UNDP (2021). Produced by the World Bank Group and UNDP. Contacts for additional information: Eliana Rubiano, World Bank Group (erubiano@worldbank.org) Valerie Cliff, UNDP (Valerie.cliff@undp.org; policyresponse.lac@undp.org ) CARIBBEAN REGIONAL RESILIENCE BUILDING FACILITY COVID-19 IN LAC BELIZE 2021 LAC HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEYS: Results Phase II, Wave 1 April 2022 Belize was adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic through a relatively high incidence of COVID-19 cases and a relatively high number of deaths compared to other countries in the Caribbean. The COVID-19 pandemic also led to a strong contraction of the tourism sector, resulting in a GDP reduction of 14 percent in 2020. A deterioration of labor market conditions is evident. By mid-2021, a quarter of those who worked before the pandemic was no longer employed, and more than half of them had left the labor force altogether. 14.1 percent of those formally employed before the pandemic transitioned into informality, while 7.9 percent of workers previously employed informally entered formal employment. In addition, 41.9 percent of previously inactive people entered the labor force, with males comprising more than half of the entrants. The newly active represent 10.5 percent of the employed and 17.9 percent of the unemployed in mid-2021. The impacts of the pandemic on labor market outcomes continued to be felt most acutely by women and were even more pronounced for females with children. In line with worsened labor market outcomes, the pandemic led to a decrease in the average household’s income in Belize. About two of every three households reported a reduction in their total income since the start of the pandemic. The share of affected households was higher in rural areas, among those with fewer assets and among households with children. Decreased income levels translated into higher food insecurity. Nearly half of households in Belize reported that they had run out of food in the 30 days preceding the survey, compared to 16.5 percent before the pandemic (based on recall data). The Belizean government responded to the crisis by providing social relief packages, like other countries in the region. However, the survey indicates that even though 40.5 percent of households received emergency transfers during the pandemic, total income reductions were still very widespread. The pandemic has also had consequences on school attendance due to mobility restrictions implemented to mitigate the effect of the pandemic. The share of children of school age who attended classes either in person or virtually at the time of the survey was one of the lowest in the region at 65.4 percent. And only half of them engaged in learning activities involving direct interaction with a teacher (online or in-person). School closures may have a long-term effect on human capital accumulation and future welfare. School closures also increased the burden of household responsibilities on adult household members. Unequal intra-household arrangements resulted in 27.4 percent more women than men reporting an increase in the time spent supporting children’s education during the pandemic. However, 44.1 percent of men reporting an increased burden is remarkable. Limited connectivity may have hampered the response to the pandemic and recovery efforts. Half of the Belizean households that have an internet connection at home (66.7 percent of all households) had problems with internet services due to poor access, quality, or speed, which prevents the widespread use of virtual platforms for healthcare delivery, teaching, and work in the hope of adapting to the crisis. JOB LOSS (% OF PRE-PANDEMIC WORKERS) HOUSEHOLDS (%) WITH REDUCED INCOME 80% 70% 70% 60% 60% 50% 50% 40% 40% 30% 30% 20% 20% 10% 10% 0% 0% Age [65+] Age [18-24] Age [25-54] Age [55-64] Male Tertiary or more Urban Overall Secondary Female Rural Female w/ children (0-12 yo) Secondary Urban HH with elderly 65+ 0-1 assets Rural 3+ assets HH w/o children HH with children 0-17 2 assets Primary or less Tertiary and more Female w/ children (0-5 yo) Primary or less Area HH composition Level of education of HH possession of the HH assets Overall Area Gender Age group Education level % that were employed pre-pandemic and left labor force % that were employed pre-pandemic and now unemployed Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: INDIVIDUALS (18+ years old) Childcare Labor Health Finance responsibilities % of employed % of inactive % of population who Distribution among groups population (pre- population (pre- % of population who % of formal workers is not planning to get pandemic) who lost pandemic) who spent more time % of population using (pre-pandemic) who vaccinated or unsure their pre-pandemic became active accompanying mobile wallets became informal (vaccination job (employed or children's education hesitancy) unemployed) Overall 25.4% 41.9% 14.1% 50.8% 30.5% - Rural 26.0% 40.9% 15.7% 48.9% 32.3% - Urban 24.6% 43.3% 12.1% 53.3% 28.2% - Females 42.7% 35.9% 12.2% 56.2% 35.9% - Males 12.1% 60.0% 15.2% 44.1% 25.1% - 18 to 25 years old 25.9% 55.3% 15.2% 37.6% 42.8% - 26 to 45 years old 22.3% 35.8% 11.7% 58.1% 28.2% - 46 to 64 years old 29.0% 35.6% 20.4% 46.8% 27.3% - 65 and older 43.7% 27.8% 0.0% 41.6% 7.3% - Primary or less 29.1% 39.6% 14.2% 44.8% 32.8% - Secondary 19.8% 48.1% 23.7% 53.9% 30.6% - Tertiary and more 19.2% 41.2% 5.7% 71.8% 23.0% - Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: HOUSEHOLDS AND CHILDREN Income Food Insecurity Education (6-17 yo) Connectivity % HH that received % of children in % HHs that had Distribution among groups % HH that report a % of children in school Emergency school age who problems with reduction in total % HHs that ran out of age who attended Government interacted with internet service due income (current v. pre- food (last 30 days) school (in person or Transfers during the teacher (in-person or to poor access pandemic) virtually) pandemic online classes) quality/speed Overall 65.5% 40.5% 49.2% 65.4% 49.1% 50.2% Rural 67.4% 44.4% 53.8% 62.8% 46.5% 51.1% Urban 63.2% 35.8% 43.7% 69.2% 52.8% 49.3% HH w/o children (0-17) 62.6% 32.0% 31.8% - - 53.1% HH with children (0-17) 66.9% 44.6% 57.5% 65.4% 49.1% 48.8% HH with elderly (65+) 60.9% 33.2% 42.8% 66.7% 50.2% 41.9% 0-1 assets 72.9% 41.9% 75.7% 51.9% 38.2% 52.9% 2 assets 71.9% 51.6% 54.3% 60.6% 42.9% 46.0% 3+ assets 58.3% 33.2% 34.3% 73.8% 57.1% 51.5% HH education - Primary or less 66.4% 46.6% 56.8% 63.2% 48.8% 50.6% HH education - Secondary 67.6% 43.5% 53.5% 65.9% 48.4% 47.8% HH education - Tertiary or more 61.4% 21.5% 24.9% 79.1% 61.7% 51.5% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEY The World Bank and UNDP conducted a multi-wave High-Frequency Phone Survey (HFPS) in 2021 to assess the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the welfare of Latin American and Caribbean households. The first wave was collected between May and July 2021, and the data is nationally representative for 24 countries: Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Lucia and Uruguay. In Belize, Dominica and Saint Lucia, the HFPS was co-financed by the European Union, in the frame of the Caribbean Regional Resilience Building Facility, managed by the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR). The data for Brazil was collected between July 26 and October 1. The HFPS provides information on the welfare impacts that households experienced with respect to food insecurity, changes in employment, income changes, access to health and education services, and coping mechanisms. Key indicators on socioeconomic effects are available at the COVID-19 monitoring global dashboard, which provides 96 harmonized indicators across 50 countries in Latin America and the world. For further information, see World Bank and UNDP (2021). The sole responsibility of this publication lies with the author(s). Produced by the World Bank Group and UNDP. CARIBBEAN REGIONAL RESILIENCE BUILDING FACILITY Contacts for additional information: Jacobus de Hoop, World Bank Group (jdehoop@worldbank.org) Denise Antonio, UNDP (Denise.antonio@undp.org; policyresponse.lac@undp.org ) COVID-19 IN LAC BOLIVIA 2021 LAC HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEYS: Results Phase II, Wave 1 April 2022 The COVID-19 crisis and a further decline in oil prices led to an economic contraction of 8.8 percent in 2020 in Bolivia. The country was under lockdown for over five months and ranked halfway in deaths in Latin America and the Caribbean. Most economic sectors were affected, and more severely the labor-intensive industry and service sectors. The economy started to recover in 2021, but the labor market recovery has been slower. By mid-2021, about one in every five pre- pandemic workers had lost their job, and over half of them had left the labor force altogether. These job losses were higher among urban workers, women, and youth (18-25 years old). Indeed, 69.1 percent of the new inactive were women. There was also an unprecedented shift of 57.0 percent of the formerly inactive population into activity. These newcomers represented 11.9 percent of those employed and 21.9 percent of the unemployed at the time of the survey. They likely entered the market to avoid falling into poverty. Women were also most of the new active (59.3 percent). Job quality also deteriorated. Most of the new active who found a job ended up in informality (90.3 percent), and 20.2 percent of pre-pandemic formal workers transited to informal jobs during the pandemic. Emergency cash transfers deployed since the onset of the pandemic had high coverage, with over four in every five households reporting receiving some government help. Yet, three in every five households reported a decline in their total income compared to pre-pandemic levels by mid-2021. Poorer households -with ownership of one or no assets- were more likely to report income losses. Food insecurity increased: the share of households reporting running out of food grew from 17.2 percent pre-pandemic to 22.7 percent by mid-2021, after peaking at 43.2 percent in May 2020. Rural households, households with fewer assets, and households with less-educated heads faced higher food insecurity in 2021. Access to learning remains a concern. By mid-2021, 94.2 percent of school-age children attended school in person or virtually, and 91.4 percent of them had direct interaction with a teacher, in-person or online. However, only 25.7 percent of enrolled students reported attending school in person. Direct interaction with teachers was less frequent in rural households and households with one or no assets. While Bolivia's reported virtual school attendance was high, internet access remains a challenge for remote learning: 72.0 percent of the households with internet services at home (54.6 percent of all households) reported poor quality of service. Long-term pandemic effects on human capital will likely affect the poor and vulnerable the most. School closures also increased the burden of care, particularly for women. Indeed, 54.1 percent of women reported an increase in the time spent accompanying children's education compared to 42.6 percent of men. JOB LOSS (% OF PRE-PANDEMIC WORKERS) HOUSEHOLDS (%) WITH REDUCED INCOME 70% 40% 60% 30% 50% 40% 20% 30% 20% 10% 10% 0% 0% Overall Urban HH with elderly 65+ 0-1 assets Rural HH with children 0-17 Secondary 3+ assets HH w/o children 2 assets Tertiary or more Primary or less Age [18-24] Age [25-54] Age [55-64] Age [65+] Male Urban Female Rural Secondary Female w/ children (0-12 yo) Tertiary and more Primary or less Female w/ children (0-5 yo) Area HH composition Level of education of HH possession of the HH assets Overall Area Gender Age group Education level % who were employed pre-pandemic and left labor force % who were employed pre-pandemic and now unemployed Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: INDIVIDUALS (18+ years old) Childcare Labor Health Finance responsibilities % of inactive % of employed % of population who Distribution among groups population (pre- % of population who population (pre- % of formal workers is not planning to get pandemic) who spent more time % of population using pandemic) who lost (pre-pandemic) who vaccinated or unsure became active accompanying mobile wallets their pre-pandemic became informal (vaccination (employed or children's education job hesitancy) unemployed) Overall 18.4% 57.0% 20.2% 48.8% 23.7% 18.4% Rural 15.1% 60.7% 13.7% 46.1% 26.3% 16.7% Urban 19.3% 56.0% 21.3% 49.7% 22.9% 18.9% Females 26.2% 51.6% 18.4% 54.1% 25.9% 15.2% Males 11.5% 67.3% 21.7% 42.6% 21.4% 21.7% 18 to 25 years old 28.9% 61.5% 33.9% 39.6% 26.7% 22.8% 26 to 45 years old 16.3% 59.7% 25.6% 57.6% 26.6% 21.0% 46 to 64 years old 14.8% 53.4% 11.3% 37.8% 20.2% 12.4% 65 and older 22.3% 37.8% 0.0% 11.6% 8.2% 10.5% Primary or less 18.1% 21.8% 31.0% 37.3% 26.6% 13.4% Secondary 18.8% 61.8% 27.0% 49.6% 26.3% 16.8% Tertiary and more 18.1% 60.0% 14.8% 53.7% 17.6% 23.0% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: HOUSEHOLDS AND CHILDREN Income Food Insecurity Education (6-17 yo) Connectivity % HH that received % of children in % HHs that had Distribution among groups % HH that report a % of children in school Emergency school age who problems with reduction in total % HHs that ran out of age who attended Government interacted with internet service due income (current v. pre- food (last 30 days) school (in person or Transfers during the teacher (in-person or to poor access quality pandemic) virtually) pandemic online classes) / speed Overall 60.0% 83.4% 22.7% 94.2% 91.4% 72.0% Rural 59.8% 86.0% 28.6% 90.8% 85.5% 72.4% Urban 60.1% 82.8% 21.2% 95.3% 93.2% 72.0% HH w/o children (0-17) 55.5% 77.3% 19.7% - - 69.6% HH with children (0-17) 62.2% 86.3% 24.2% 94.2% 91.4% 73.2% HH with elderly (65+) 55.9% 78.6% 22.5% 93.5% 92.2% 78.6% 0-1 assets 66.0% 87.9% 39.2% 91.6% 87.0% 75.2% 2 assets 60.4% 80.8% 19.5% 93.6% 92.5% 75.9% 3+ assets 54.3% 80.9% 9.5% 97.6% 95.5% 69.6% HH education - Primary or less 59.9% 90.5% 35.2% 90.6% 89.0% 77.6% HH education - Secondary 61.8% 86.9% 26.7% 92.1% 87.8% 70.0% HH education - Tertiary or more 58.7% 75.8% 12.2% 98.5% 96.4% 71.8% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEY The World Bank and UNDP conducted a multi-wave High-Frequency Phone Survey (HFPS) in 2021 to assess the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the welfare of Latin American and Caribbean households. The first wave was collected between May and July 2021, and the data is nationally representative for 24 countries: Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Lucia and Uruguay. The data for Brazil was collected between July 26 and October 1. The HFPS provides information on the welfare impacts that households experienced with respect to food insecurity, changes in employment, income changes, access to health and education services, and coping mechanisms. Key indicators on socioeconomic effects are available at the COVID-19 monitoring global dashboard, which provides 96 harmonized indicators across 50 countries in Latin America and the world. For further information, see World Bank and UNDP (2021). Produced by the World Bank Group and UNDP. Contacts for additional information: Maria Davalos, World Bank Group (mdavalos@worldbank.org) Luciana Mermet, UNDP (Luciana.mermet@undp.org; policyresponse.lac@undp.org ) COVID-19 IN LAC BRAZIL 2021 LAC HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEYS: Results Phase II, Wave 1 April 2022 Brazil has been one of the countries most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in the region. In June 2021, it was the country with the second-highest rate of deaths per million and the fourth by the number of cases per million in Latin America and the Caribbean. The effects of the health crisis were broad and still evident a year and a half into the pandemic. In line with pre-existing vulnerability profiles, the pandemic affected the Brazilian population differently in the labor market. At the time of the survey, the proportion of people who lost their pre-pandemic job and were not working was 29.1 percent. This proportion was highest among the elderly (57.8 percent), those with primary education or less (42.7 percent), women (41.4 percent) and rural workers (38.7 percent). About 58 percent of those who lost their jobs became inactive, and most of the new inactive were women (68.9 percent). Simultaneously, 29.2 percent of the previously inactive entered the labor force during the pandemic, though one-quarter of them were unemployed in mid-2021. Women represented a majority among the new active (64.3 percent). Finally, the pandemic resulted in higher informality rates among those who remained employed. Labor market dynamics led to lower overall income for many, despite government transfers reaching 51 percent of the population. At the time of the survey, 44.6 percent of households reported a reduction in their income level compared to before the pandemic. Households with low levels of asset ownership were more likely to report these income reductions. More than half (55.8 percent) of them reported a decrease in overall income, even though 65.6 percent of them had access to emergency government transfers. Income losses translated into higher levels of food insecurity. About 18.1 percent of households reported running out of food at least once in the 30 days before the survey for lack of money. Only 9.4 percent remember a similar situation before the pandemic. Higher food insecurity levels were found among rural families and those with less-educated heads. Unequal access to education during the pandemic can become an inhibitor to intergenerational mobility if not addressed effectively. At the national level, 88.8 percent of school-age children were attending school, either in person or virtually, yet, only 68.5 percent had direct interaction with a teacher, online or in person, and only 40 percent were attending classes in person. These proportions were lower for children in households with primary-educated heads. School closures increased the burden of household responsibilities among adult household members. Furthermore, unequal intra-household arrangements resulted in more women than men reporting an increase in the time spent supporting children’s education during the pandemic (61.9 percent and 47.1 percent, respectively). JOB LOSS (% OF PRE-PANDEMIC WORKERS) HOUSEHOLDS (%) WITH REDUCED INCOME 60% 70% 50% 60% 50% 40% 40% 30% 30% 20% 20% 10% 10% 0% 0% Overall Urban HH with elderly 65+ 0-1 assets Rural HH with children 0-17 Secondary 3+ assets HH w/o children 2 assets Tertiary or more Primary or less Age [18-24] Age [25-54] Age [55-64] Age [65+] Male Urban Female Rural Secondary Female w/ children (0-12 yo) Tertiary and more Primary or less Female w/ children (0-5 yo) Area HH composition Level of education of HH possession of the HH assets Overall Area Gender Age group Education level % who were employed pre-pandemic and left labor force % who were employed pre-pandemic and now unemployed Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: INDIVIDUALS (18+ years old) Childcare Labor Health Finance responsibilities % of inactive % of employed % of population who Distribution among groups population (pre- % of population who population (pre- % of formal workers is not planning to get pandemic) who spent more time % of population using pandemic) who lost (pre-pandemic) who vaccinated or unsure became active accompanying mobile wallets their pre-pandemic became informal (vaccination (employed or children's education job hesitancy) unemployed) Overall 29.1% 29.2% 12.0% 55.3% 2.6% 30.2% Rural 38.7% 33.0% 21.9% 60.0% 3.1% 16.6% Urban 27.8% 28.6% 10.9% 54.6% 2.6% 32.1% Females 41.4% 27.8% 10.6% 61.9% 2.0% 24.7% Males 18.4% 32.0% 12.9% 47.1% 3.3% 36.2% 18 to 25 years old 34.3% 66.7% 14.5% 42.1% 2.8% 45.7% 26 to 45 years old 22.8% 50.3% 12.7% 61.7% 2.8% 37.8% 46 to 64 years old 30.4% 22.1% 9.9% 54.5% 3.3% 19.3% 65 and older 57.8% 4.3% 11.2% 26.7% 0.1% 7.9% Primary or less 42.7% 10.5% 15.5% 47.0% 4.4% 4.6% Secondary 31.0% 34.1% 13.2% 54.2% 2.4% 28.4% Tertiary and more 17.2% 37.7% 8.3% 62.8% 2.1% 52.1% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: HOUSEHOLDS AND CHILDREN Income Food Insecurity Education (6-17 yo) Connectivity % HH that received % of children in % HHs that had Distribution among groups % HH that report a % of children in school Emergency school age who problems with reduction in total % HHs that ran out of age who attended Government interacted with internet service due income (current v. pre- food (last 30 days) school (in person or Transfers during the teacher (in-person or to poor access quality pandemic) virtually) pandemic online classes) / speed Overall 44.6% 51.0% 18.1% 88.8% 68.5% 44.6% Rural 45.6% 62.5% 26.8% 90.9% 68.6% 50.6% Urban 44.5% 49.5% 17.0% 88.5% 68.5% 44.0% HH w/o children (0-17) 37.9% 44.1% 11.8% - - 39.5% HH with children (0-17) 52.9% 59.7% 26.1% 88.8% 68.5% 50.5% HH with elderly (65+) 39.4% 42.1% 10.7% 85.8% 65.5% 42.8% 0-1 assets 55.8% 65.6% 40.0% 82.6% 52.5% 45.5% 2 assets 47.7% 59.0% 26.4% 86.0% 63.3% 46.4% 3+ assets 39.3% 41.0% 6.0% 93.0% 77.4% 43.2% HH education - Primary or less 45.9% 66.9% 21.0% 80.6% 49.9% 43.4% HH education - Secondary 46.9% 64.5% 18.8% 89.5% 60.7% 44.9% HH education - Tertiary or more 45.4% 39.5% 7.9% 94.9% 79.9% 47.8% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEY The World Bank and UNDP conducted a multi-wave High-Frequency Phone Survey (HFPS) in 2021 to assess the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the welfare of Latin American and Caribbean households. The first wave was collected between May and July 2021, and the data is nationally representative for 24 countries: Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Lucia and Uruguay. The data for Brazil was collected between July 26 and October 1. The HFPS provides information on the welfare impacts that households experienced with respect to food insecurity, changes in employment, income changes, access to health and education services, and coping mechanisms. Key indicators on socioeconomic effects are available at the COVID-19 monitoring global dashboard, which provides 96 harmonized indicators across 50 countries in Latin America and the world. For further information, see World Bank and UNDP (2021). Produced by the World Bank Group and UNDP. Contacts for additional information: Gabriel Lara Ibarra, World Bank Group (glaraibarra@worldbank.org) Katyna Argueta, UNDP (Katyna.argueta@undp.org; policyresponse.lac@undp.org ) COVID-19 IN LAC CHILE 2021 LAC HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEYS: Results Phase II, Wave 1 April 2022 Chile experienced an economic contraction of 5.8 percent of GDP in 2020. The economy quickly recovered and grew at an unprecedented rate of 12 percent in 2021, supported by private consumption, massive fiscal transfers, and pension fund withdrawals. Chile’s successful vaccination campaign also contributed to the economic rebound. However, the job market recovery has been slow and uneven. By mid-2021, the country still had not recovered its pre-pandemic employment levels. Three of every ten workers had lost their pre- pandemic job, and most of them had left the labor force entirely (78.3 percent). Among those who became inactive, 56.6 percent were women, most of them low-skilled and without children under 18. On the other hand, 39.3 percent of those inactive before the pandemic joined the labor force: 69.2 percent of them were low-skilled people with secondary education or less, and 61.2 percent were women, most of them without children under 18 (66.3 percent). Transitions in and out of the labor force have been less favorable for women than men. Indeed, women employed before the pandemic were more likely to lose their job than men (39.9 versus 24.0 percent, respectively). Moreover, 78.9 percent of previously inactive women who could find jobs landed in informality versus 54.1 percent of men. Emergency social protection programs helped cushion some of the adverse impacts of the pandemic on household income and food security. The Chilean government laid out significant fiscal aid to smooth the effects of the crisis, increasing the coverage and generosity of pandemic-related measures in 2021. By mid-2021, nearly two-thirds of households in Chile had received emergency transfers. Still, 43.1 percent of households reported their income remained below pre-pandemic levels, and 10.8 percent of households reported running out of food in the 30 days preceding the survey (slightly above the 7.8 percent pre-pandemic level). This food insecurity indicator was the lowest in the region. Income losses and food insecurity were more prominent among rural and poor households. Although mainly virtual, Chile’s school attendance rate (either in person or virtual) was the highest in the region (97.0 percent), and 95.6 percent of kids in school-age engaged in online learning activities supported by a teacher. The lack of access to a reliable internet connection undermined the quality of distance learning. Of 74.2 percent of households with an internet connection, 66.5 percent reported having problems with internet services due to poor access, quality, or speed, with higher incidence among households in rural areas (70.8 percent) or with one or no assets (76.3 percent). In addition, school closures increased the burden of household responsibilities on adult household members. Unequal intra-household arrangements resulted in 18.0 percent more women than men reporting an increase in the time spent supporting children’s education during the pandemic. However, 48.6 percent of men reported an increased burden, which is unprecedented. Chile presents the highest vaccination rate among LAC countries, well above the regional average. While the average vaccination hesitancy rate in the region was 8.1 percent by mid-2021, 4.0 percent of Chileans were not planning to get vaccinated in mid-2021. JOB LOSS (% OF PRE-PANDEMIC WORKERS) HOUSEHOLDS (%) WITH REDUCED INCOME 70% 70% 60% 60% 50% 50% 40% 40% 30% 30% 20% 20% 10% 10% 0% 0% Overall Urban HH with elderly 65+ 0-1 assets Rural HH with children 0-17 Secondary 3+ assets HH w/o children 2 assets Tertiary or more Primary or less Age [18-24] Age [25-54] Age [55-64] Age [65+] Male Urban Female Rural Secondary Female w/ children (0-12 yo) Tertiary and more Primary or less Female w/ children (0-5 yo) Area HH composition Level of education of HH possession of the HH assets Overall Area Gender Age group Education level % who were employed pre-pandemic and left labor force % who were employed pre-pandemic and now unemployed Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: INDIVIDUALS (18+ years old) Childcare Labor Health Finance responsibilities % of inactive % of employed % of population who Distribution among groups population (pre- % of population who population (pre- % of formal workers is not planning to get pandemic) who spent more time % of population using pandemic) who lost (pre-pandemic) who vaccinated or unsure became active accompanying mobile wallets their pre-pandemic became informal (vaccination (employed or children's education job hesitancy) unemployed) Overall 30.9% 39.3% 7.0% 53.9% 4.0% 8.3% Rural 32.4% 29.7% 6.3% 54.0% 3.8% 4.3% Urban 30.6% 41.2% 7.1% 53.9% 4.1% 9.2% Females 39.9% 33.9% 6.5% 57.4% 4.3% 6.3% Males 24.0% 52.3% 7.3% 48.6% 3.8% 10.3% 18 to 25 years old 45.8% 46.1% 7.7% 40.0% 7.8% 24.8% 26 to 45 years old 17.3% 55.4% 7.3% 61.7% 4.8% 9.4% 46 to 64 years old 35.9% 42.3% 6.5% 56.6% 3.2% 3.0% 65 and older 62.5% 13.5% 6.0% 13.2% 0.0% 0.5% Primary or less 42.8% 28.5% 5.9% 36.9% 2.0% 0.3% Secondary 35.4% 38.3% 8.8% 54.2% 6.7% 9.0% Tertiary and more 18.2% 57.6% 5.5% 68.8% 2.1% 13.5% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: HOUSEHOLDS AND CHILDREN Income Food Insecurity Education (6-17 yo) Connectivity % HH that received % of children in % HHs that had Distribution among groups % HH that report a % of children in school Emergency school age who problems with reduction in total % HHs that ran out of age who attended Government interacted with internet service due income (current v. pre- food (last 30 days) school (in person or Transfers during the teacher (in-person or to poor access quality pandemic) virtually) pandemic online classes) / speed Overall 43.1% 64.0% 10.8% 97.0% 92.9% 66.5% Rural 46.3% 69.4% 13.7% 93.2% 86.1% 70.8% Urban 42.4% 62.8% 10.2% 97.9% 94.4% 65.7% HH w/o children (0-17) 44.4% 57.4% 12.0% - - 64.3% HH with children (0-17) 41.7% 71.3% 9.6% 97.0% 92.9% 68.9% HH with elderly (65+) 42.5% 67.3% 9.2% 96.5% 93.3% 66.1% 0-1 assets 58.7% 51.1% 31.2% 100.0% 100.0% 76.3% 2 assets 43.9% 72.9% 18.3% 93.6% 87.8% 57.7% 3+ assets 42.0% 61.2% 7.0% 97.6% 93.7% 69.2% HH education - Primary or less 38.7% 81.4% 14.3% 97.4% 88.4% 69.5% HH education - Secondary 49.5% 79.0% 14.8% 94.1% 89.1% 66.4% HH education - Tertiary or more 39.2% 43.1% 6.5% 99.5% 98.3% 65.8% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEY The World Bank and UNDP conducted a multi-wave High-Frequency Phone Survey (HFPS) in 2021 to assess the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the welfare of Latin American and Caribbean households. The first wave was collected between May and July 2021, and the data is nationally representative for 24 countries: Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Lucia and Uruguay. The data for Brazil was collected between July 26 and October 1. The HFPS provides information on the welfare impacts that households experienced with respect to food insecurity, changes in employment, income changes, access to health and education services, and coping mechanisms. Key indicators on socioeconomic effects are available at the COVID-19 monitoring global dashboard, which provides 96 harmonized indicators across 50 countries in Latin America and the world. For further information, see World Bank and UNDP (2021). Produced by the World Bank Group and UNDP. Contacts for additional information: Trinidad Saavedra, World Bank Group (tsaavedrafacusse@worldbank.org) Claudia Mojica, UNDP (Claudia.mojica@undp.org; policyresponse.lac@undp.org ) COVID-19 IN LAC COLOMBIA 2021 LAC HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEYS: Results Phase II, Wave 1 April 2022 Colombia experienced a fall of 6.8 percent of GDP in 2020. Around 2.4 million jobs were lost that year. The official unemployment rate was 15.9 percent, about 1.5 times larger than the previous year. Despite efforts from the government to contain the impact through emergency transfers, household income plummeted, poverty sharply increased and other dimensions of wellbeing worsened. In 2021, the economy started to recover. However, official figures from 2021 show a slower recovery of the labor market, and a deceleration in its recovery rhythm compared to 2020. In mid-2021, 34.8 percent of the pre-pandemic workers (older than 18) had not returned to work - women, low educated workers, and youth in an even higher proportion - and more than half of them (51.6 percent) had exited the labor market altogether. Of the new inactive, 33.7 percent were women with no children under 18, and 29.8 percent were men with primary or secondary education. Most remarkable was the entry of 43.8 percent of the pre-pandemic inactive individuals to the labor force, likely to avoid falling into poverty. Most of the new active were women (58.4 percent). While most of the previously inactive and unemployed workers found jobs, these new jobs tend to be informal. Also, 18.0 percent of the pre-pandemic formal workers transited to informal jobs during the pandemic. Both findings are worrisome in the context of an already very high informality rate. Around two-thirds of households still reported their total income was below pre-pandemic levels by mid-2021. The share of households reporting income loss was one of the highest in the region. It varied across household types, with the poorest households (with one or no assets) and households with primary-educated heads reporting income losses more frequently than the average household. While 20.4 percent of households reported running out of food before the pandemic, the share was 44.2 percent in mid-2021, close to the levels observed in 2020. The poorest households (with one or no assets), families with secondary-educated heads, and rural households report food insecurity at even higher rates. Long-term pandemic effects on human capital accumulation are likely to affect the poor and vulnerable the most. Access to learning remains a concern, particularly for children in rural areas and from poorer families. On the positive side, there was a recovery in access to health services once mobility was restored in 2021. A short-term health challenge identified was vaccination hesitancy, which persisted in around 1 out of 10 people. JOB LOSS (% OF PRE-PANDEMIC WORKERS) HOUSEHOLDS (%) WITH REDUCED INCOME 80% 70% 70% 60% 60% 50% 50% 40% 40% 30% 30% 20% 20% 10% 10% 0% 0% Overall Urban HH with elderly 65+ 0-1 assets Rural HH with children 0-17 Secondary 3+ assets HH w/o children 2 assets Tertiary or more Primary or less Age [18-24] Age [25-54] Age [55-64] Age [65+] Male Urban Female Rural Secondary Female w/ children (0-12 yo) Tertiary and more Primary or less Female w/ children (0-5 yo) Area HH composition Level of education of HH possession of the HH assets Overall Area Gender Age group Education level % who were employed pre-pandemic and left labor force % who were employed pre-pandemic and now unemployed Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: INDIVIDUALS (18+ years old) Childcare Labor Health Finance responsibilities % of inactive % of employed % of population who Distribution among groups population (pre- % of population who population (pre- % of formal workers is not planning to get pandemic) who spent more time % of population using pandemic) who lost (pre-pandemic) who vaccinated or unsure became active accompanying mobile wallets their pre-pandemic became informal (vaccination (employed or children's education job hesitancy) unemployed) Overall 34.8% 43.8% 18.0% 47.6% 11.3% 19.4% Rural 33.4% 48.1% 36.2% 39.4% 15.8% 11.7% Urban 35.2% 42.6% 14.5% 50.7% 9.8% 22.0% Females 44.9% 38.4% 17.8% 57.6% 11.7% 17.3% Males 25.1% 54.5% 18.1% 34.1% 10.8% 21.8% 18 to 25 years old 42.8% 62.6% 14.0% 46.6% 16.3% 33.3% 26 to 45 years old 32.0% 63.2% 18.2% 54.0% 12.6% 21.0% 46 to 64 years old 29.9% 33.0% 19.6% 35.8% 6.6% 15.5% 65 and older 58.5% 11.8% 15.3% 19.1% 9.9% 3.3% Primary or less 44.9% 36.0% 25.9% 37.6% 11.3% 5.1% Secondary 31.4% 46.4% 22.3% 48.3% 11.7% 17.4% Tertiary and more 28.7% 51.0% 10.7% 60.8% 10.6% 38.7% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: HOUSEHOLDS AND CHILDREN Income Food Insecurity Education (6-17 yo) Connectivity % HH that received % of children in % HHs that had Distribution among groups % HH that report a % of children in school Emergency school age who problems with reduction in total % HHs that ran out of age who attended Government interacted with internet service due income (current v. pre- food (last 30 days) school (in person or Transfers during the teacher (in-person or to poor access quality pandemic) virtually) pandemic online classes) / speed Overall 66.7% 24.2% 44.2% 81.4% 53.1% 70.4% Rural 69.6% 30.3% 49.8% 79.3% 48.1% 79.7% Urban 65.9% 22.4% 42.6% 82.3% 55.1% 68.0% HH w/o children (0-17) 60.2% 15.9% 33.8% - - 62.4% HH with children (0-17) 70.7% 29.3% 50.7% 81.4% 53.1% 75.2% HH with elderly (65+) 66.2% 23.6% 46.4% 84.0% 66.3% 73.0% 0-1 assets 75.4% 31.0% 59.5% 77.2% 43.7% 74.5% 2 assets 66.6% 23.4% 44.5% 84.5% 55.5% 70.6% 3+ assets 57.0% 17.1% 26.6% 86.4% 69.3% 66.4% HH education - Primary or less 70.3% 32.4% 43.6% 82.4% 55.4% 75.4% HH education - Secondary 69.9% 24.3% 51.6% 80.8% 49.9% 68.9% HH education - Tertiary or more 57.0% 13.6% 32.5% 81.2% 59.3% 66.7% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEY The World Bank and UNDP conducted a multi-wave High-Frequency Phone Survey (HFPS) in 2021 to assess the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the welfare of Latin American and Caribbean households. The first wave was collected between May and July 2021, and the data is nationally representative for 24 countries: Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Lucia and Uruguay. The data for Brazil was collected between July 26 and October 1. The HFPS provides information on the welfare impacts that households experienced with respect to food insecurity, changes in employment, income changes, access to health and education services, and coping mechanisms. Key indicators on socioeconomic effects are available at the COVID-19 monitoring global dashboard, which provides 96 harmonized indicators across 50 countries in Latin America and the world. For further information, see World Bank and UNDP (2021). Produced by the World Bank Group and UNDP. Contacts for additional information: Maria Davalos, World Bank Group (mdavalos@worldbank.org) Sara Ferrer Olivella, UNDP (Sara.ferrer.olivella@undp.org; policyresponse.lac@undp.org ) COVID-19 IN LAC COSTA RICA 2021 LAC HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEYS: Results Phase II, Wave 1 April 2022 Costa Rica grew at an average annual rate of around 4 percent until 2017. The economy had already begun to decelerate when the pandemic broke out. Mobility restrictions and social distancing measures, combined with a collapse in the tourism industry, led to a 4.1 percent fall in GDP in 2020. The economic contraction led to a deterioration of labor market outcomes and resulted in reduced employment and income. Poverty (and to a lesser extent inequality) increased quickly. The results of the High-Frequency Phone Surveys (HFPS) conducted in Costa Rica show the extent of the impact of the pandemic on labor outcomes around July of 2021. By then, 27.5 percent of those who were employed pre-pandemic had lost their jobs, two-thirds of them leaving the labor force altogether. Women were almost twice as likely to lose their pre-pandemic job as men (38.2 versus 20.6 percent) and job losses were especially high among those with lower education levels. At 42.5 percent, an extraordinary share of individuals who were inactive before the pandemic entered the labor force, suggesting that despite government efforts, emergency transfers were not sufficient to compensate for lost income and forced people into the labor force. While most previously inactive and unemployed individuals found jobs, these new jobs are often informal. In addition, 11.3 percent of the pre-pandemic formal workers transited to informal jobs during the pandemic. The disruptions in the labor market due to the pandemic caused a fall in household income: half of all households reported a reduction in total income since the start of the pandemic. The decrease in household income translated into increased food insecurity during the pandemic. Although Costa Rica is among the wealthiest countries in the region, 23.0 percent of households reported running out of food in the 30 days preceding the survey. School attendance was just over the regional average, with 89.9 percent of children reportedly attending school either in person or virtually. By mid-2021, the lack of access to a working internet connection remained a challenge for delivering education services during school closures. Among households that had an internet connection at home in Costa Rica (64.5 percent of all households), more than half (57.6 percent) reported problems with service quality. Not unrelated and worrisome, only 27.8 percent of school-age children said having had direct interaction with a teacher, online or in person. JOB LOSS (% OF PRE-PANDEMIC WORKERS) HOUSEHOLDS (%) WITH REDUCED INCOME 70% 50% 60% 40% 50% 30% 40% 30% 20% 20% 10% 10% 0% 0% Overall HH with elderly 65+ 0-1 assets Secondary 3+ assets HH w/o children HH with children 0-17 Tertiary or more 2 assets Primary or less Age [18-24] Age [25-54] Age [55-64] Age [65+] Male Female Female w/ children (0-12 yo) Secondary Primary or less Tertiary and more Female w/ children (0-5 yo) HH composition Level of education of the HH possession of assets HH Overall Gender Age group Education level % who were employed pre-pandemic and left labor force % who were employed pre-pandemic and now unemployed Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: INDIVIDUALS (18+ years old) Childcare Labor Health Finance responsibilities % of employed % of inactive % of population who Distribution among groups population (pre- population (pre- % of population who % of formal workers is not planning to get pandemic) who lost pandemic) who spent more time % of population using (pre-pandemic) who vaccinated or unsure their pre-pandemic became active accompanying mobile wallets became informal (vaccination job (employed or children's education hesitancy) unemployed) Overall 27.5% 42.5% 11.3% 37.5% 12.3% 3.7% Females 38.2% 38.5% 15.2% 45.8% 15.2% 2.0% Males 20.6% 52.7% 9.6% 23.9% 9.3% 5.4% 18 to 25 years old 21.7% 58.6% 18.1% 27.0% 17.3% 4.8% 26 to 45 years old 28.2% 57.8% 8.8% 45.4% 14.4% 4.4% 46 to 64 years old 25.9% 32.1% 14.8% 27.3% 8.1% 3.2% 65 and older 44.0% 8.5% 0.0% 0.0% 7.1% 0.6% Primary or less 32.5% 32.4% 10.8% 33.5% 13.0% 1.4% Secondary 24.1% 58.1% 17.6% 42.6% 13.1% 4.6% Tertiary and more 21.0% 45.1% 4.7% 39.9% 8.7% 8.9% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: HOUSEHOLDS AND CHILDREN Income Food Insecurity Education (6-17 yo) Connectivity % HH that received % of children in % HHs that had Distribution among groups % HH that report a % of children in school Emergency school age who problems with reduction in total % HHs that ran out of age who attended Government interacted with internet service due income (current v. pre- food (last 30 days) school (in person or Transfers during the teacher (in-person or to poor access quality pandemic) virtually) pandemic online classes) / speed Overall 50.5% 25.0% 23.0% 89.9% 27.8% 57.6% HH w/o children (0-17) 44.5% 21.0% 17.2% - - 55.6% HH with children (0-17) 56.3% 29.0% 28.6% 89.9% 27.8% 59.5% HH with elderly (65+) 46.1% 18.3% 17.9% 93.2% 38.6% 56.0% 0-1 assets 61.9% 25.8% 54.0% 84.1% 21.3% 57.0% 2 assets 51.9% 23.2% 30.3% 88.9% 32.3% 60.4% 3+ assets 47.8% 26.2% 13.3% 91.1% 25.7% 56.0% HH education - Primary or less 54.1% 28.5% 30.0% 86.1% 27.5% 62.4% HH education - Secondary 52.9% 26.1% 22.3% 91.0% 21.8% 55.9% HH education - Tertiary or more 38.5% 14.4% 6.4% 98.9% 39.5% 51.9% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEY The World Bank and UNDP conducted a multi-wave High-Frequency Phone Survey (HFPS) in 2021 to assess the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the welfare of Latin American and Caribbean households. The first wave was collected between May and July 2021, and the data is nationally representative for 24 countries: Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Lucia and Uruguay. The data for Brazil was collected between July 26 and October 1. The HFPS provides information on the welfare impacts that households experienced with respect to food insecurity, changes in employment, income changes, access to health and education services, and coping mechanisms. Key indicators on socioeconomic effects are available at the COVID-19 monitoring global dashboard, which provides 96 harmonized indicators across 50 countries in Latin America and the world. For further information, see World Bank and UNDP (2021). Produced by the World Bank Group and UNDP. Contacts for additional information: Jacobus de Hoop, World Bank Group (jdehoop@worldbank.org) Jose Troya, UNDP (Jose.troya@undp.org; policyresponse.lac@undp.org ) CARIBBEAN REGIONAL RESILIENCE BUILDING FACILITY COVID-19 IN LAC DOMINICA 2021 LAC HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEYS: Results Phase II, Wave 1 April 2022 Although initially spared, Dominica ultimately faced a relatively high number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths due to the pandemic. Given its reliance on international tourism, the economic consequences of the pandemic were severe. International and domestic mobility restrictions affected the tourism, construction, wholesale and retail sectors, interrupting the economic recovery from Hurricane Maria and leading to a contraction of 16.6 percent of GDP in 2020. The pandemic has adversely impacted employment. 17.0 percent of pre-pandemic workers had lost their job by mid-2021, and half of them had exited the labor market altogether. Women and people with primary or secondary education are overrepresented among those who became inactive. Also, these changes in the labor market deepened preexisting gender gaps, with women being two times more likely than men to lose their pre-pandemic job (23.4 versus 12.1 percent, respectively). The quality of the jobs was also affected. 11.9 percent of those formally employed before the pandemic had transitioned into an informal job by mid-2021. At the same time, 46.2 percent of previously inactive people had entered the labor force since the start of the pandemic, meaning they either were working in mid-2021 or seeking for work. Among the new active, males and low-skilled workers are overrepresented. Consistent with changes in the labor market, many households continue to experience reductions in total income. 52.6 percent of households reported a reduction in total household income more than a year after the initial outbreak. Government social assistance measures provided relief to households but had a limited reach. Only 10.6 percent of households reported receiving emergency monetary or in-kind support from the government. Food insecurity has increased. The share of households reporting running out of food due to a lack of money or other resources increased from 18.4 percent before the pandemic (based on recall data) to 40.3 percent at the survey time. Access to digital banking services and internet connectivity were critical to households' resilience during the pandemic throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Both are still elusive to families in Dominica and are a significant challenge looking forward. Only 3.6 percent of households reported using mobile wallets, and of the households with internet connection (77.5 percent), more than half reported having problems with service quality. Children’s educational engagement has been high during the pandemic. At the time of the survey, 94.6 percent of school-age children were attending school, either in person or virtually, and 93.2 percent had been engaged in learning activities involving direct interaction with a teacher. The widespread in-person school attendance explains this high share (97.0 percent of children enrolled were attending classes in person in mid-2021). School closures were limited in Dominica at the time of the survey. Despite high in-person attendance, women and men experienced a higher burden of childcare responsibilities. In the survey, 62.9 percent of women and 51.2 percent of men reported an increase in the time spent accompanying their children's education during the pandemic. JOB LOSS (% OF PRE-PANDEMIC WORKERS) HOUSEHOLDS (%) WITH REDUCED INCOME 70% 40% 60% 30% 50% 40% 20% 30% 20% 10% 10% 0% 0% Age [65+] Age [18-24] Age [25-54] Age [55-64] Male Tertiary or more Secondary Female Female w/ children (0-12 yo) Overall Secondary HH with elderly 65+ 0-1 assets 3+ assets HH w/o children HH with children 0-17 2 assets Primary or less Tertiary and more Primary or less Female w/ children (0-5 yo) HH composition Level of education of the HH possession of assets HH Overall Gender Age group Education level % that were employed pre-pandemic and left labor force % that were employed pre-pandemic and now unemployed Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: INDIVIDUALS (18+ years old) Childcare Labor Health Finance responsibilities % of employed % of inactive “% of population who Distribution among groups population (pre- population (pre- % of population who % of formal workers is not planning to get pandemic) who lost pandemic) who spent more time % of population using (pre-pandemic) who vaccinated or unsure their pre-pandemic became active accompanying mobile wallets became informal (vaccination job (employed or children's education hesitancy) unemployed) Overall 17.0% 46.2% 11.9% 57.5% 34.6% 3.6% Females 23.4% 39.7% 8.0% 62.9% 32.8% 4.3% Males 12.1% 60.8% 15.3% 51.2% 36.5% 2.9% 18 to 25 years old 31.6% 70.9% 16.8% 40.2% 38.9% 5.4% 26 to 45 years old 15.2% 83.2% 9.3% 67.2% 38.0% 4.5% 46 to 64 years old 11.0% 48.8% 15.7% 54.1% 31.4% 3.1% 65 and older 37.9% 11.1% 0.0% 25.2% 27.8% 0.0% Primary or less 15.9% 46.6% 21.9% 34.4% 30.3% 1.8% Secondary 21.9% 43.9% 9.3% 64.6% 38.5% 3.2% Tertiary and more 12.4% 49.1% 7.4% 66.7% 34.2% 5.7% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: HOUSEHOLDS AND CHILDREN Income Food Insecurity Education (6-17 yo) Connectivity % HH that received % of children in % HHs that had Distribution among groups % HH that report a % of children in school Emergency school age who problems with reduction in total % HHs that ran out of age who attended Government interacted with internet service due income (current v. pre- food (last 30 days) school (in person or Transfers during the teacher (in-person or to poor access pandemic) virtually) pandemic online classes) quality/speed Overall 52.6% 10.6% 40.3% 94.6% 93.4% 51.1% HH w/o children (0-17) 50.2% 9.1% 31.7% - - 48.4% HH with children (0-17) 55.1% 12.1% 49.3% 94.6% 93.4% 53.8% HH with elderly (65+) 45.5% 14.6% 33.8% 94.3% 94.3% 52.4% 0-1 assets 60.5% 10.3% 61.1% 92.8% 89.9% 53.7% 2 assets 53.0% 12.9% 45.3% 94.4% 93.8% 53.1% 3+ assets 49.5% 9.4% 29.9% 95.0% 94.0% 49.8% HH education - Primary or less 54.2% 14.8% 45.7% 94.2% 92.2% 55.8% HH education - Secondary 56.6% 10.6% 49.5% 94.5% 93.1% 48.1% HH education - Tertiary or more 42.1% 5.9% 18.9% 95.5% 95.5% 50.1% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEY The World Bank and UNDP conducted a multi-wave High-Frequency Phone Survey (HFPS) in 2021 to assess the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the welfare of Latin American and Caribbean households. The first wave was collected between May and July 2021, and the data is nationally representative for 24 countries: Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Lucia and Uruguay. In Belize, Dominica and Saint Lucia, the HFPS was co-financed by the European Union, in the frame of the Caribbean Regional Resilience Building Facility, managed by the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR). The data for Brazil was collected between July 26 and October 1. The HFPS provides information on the welfare impacts that households experienced with respect to food insecurity, changes in employment, income changes, access to health and education services, and coping mechanisms. Key indicators on socioeconomic effects are available at the COVID-19 monitoring global dashboard, which provides 96 harmonized indicators across 50 countries in Latin America and the world. For further information, see World Bank and UNDP (2021). The sole responsibility of this publication lies with the author(s). Produced by the World Bank Group and UNDP. CARIBBEAN REGIONAL RESILIENCE BUILDING FACILITY Contacts for additional information: Jacobus de Hoop, World Bank Group (jdehoop@worldbank.org) Valerie Cliff, UNDP (Valerie.cliff@undp.org; policyresponse.lac@undp.org ) COVID-19 IN LAC DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 2021 LAC HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEYS: Results Phase II, Wave 1 April 2022 As one of the fastest-growing and more dynamic economies in Latin America and the Caribbean between 2015 and 2019, the Dominican Republic entered the COVID-19 crisis in a relatively solid macroeconomic position. GDP contracted by 6.7 percent in 2020, but by mid- 2021, the economy had reopened, and tourism rebounded, leading to estimated GDP growth of 10.8 percent in 2021. Despite the quick economic recovery, the crisis has had severe effects on the labor market, still felt by mid-2021, according to the High- Frequency Phone Surveys (HFPS). 22.4 percent of pre-pandemic workers lost their job, and more than half of them had left the labor force altogether. The negative impact on employment was more prevalent for women and even more so for women with small children. Women were 2.6 times more likely to lose their pre-pandemic job than men, and almost one out of every two working women with children under the age of five lost their job. 76.0 percent of those who left the labor force had secondary education or less, and 65.8 percent were women, most of them (57.6 percent) with children under 18. The quality of employment was also affected. Around 21.5 percent of the formally employed before the pandemic had transitioned into an informal job by mid-2021, particularly young adults (18 – 25 years old). Most striking, however, is the share of previously inactive people who entered the labor force during the pandemic (41.2 percent). By mid- 2021, the formerly inactive population made up 11.2 percent of the employed and 29.2 percent of the unemployed. Most of the new active were low-skilled people with secondary education or less (67.1 percent), and 63.6 percent were women, more than half of them (62.1 percent) without children under 18. While more than two-thirds of the previously inactive and three-quarters of the unemployed had found jobs, most new jobs were informal. Transitions from inactivity to activity suggest that government aid was insufficient to compensate for lost income, and Dominicans were forced into activity to contain the fall into poverty. Indeed, the drop in family incomes due to job losses and the erosion of wages outweighed the benefits from temporary support programs like the cash transfer Quédate en Casa. While 41.1 percent of households reported receiving government transfers during the pandemic, 47.8 percent of families said their income remained below pre-pandemic levels. More than one-third of households reported running out of food in the 30 days before the survey for lack of money (compared to 22.0 percent before the pandemic). By mid-2021, 83.6 percent of school-aged children were attending school (either in person or online), and 69.1 percent participated in learning activities involving direct interaction with a teacher. However, only 7.9 percent of enrolled children had attended school in person. The lack of access to a reliable internet connection represents a challenge for accessing quality distance learning. In the DR, 62.3 percent of households with an internet connection reported problems with the quality of service (and only 55.7 percent had internet at home). Access to digital financial services, is still elusive to families in the Dominican Republic, as only 7.0 percent of households reported using mobile wallets. JOB LOSS (% OF PRE-PANDEMIC WORKERS) HOUSEHOLDS (%) WITH REDUCED INCOME 70% 50% 60% 40% 50% 30% 40% 30% 20% 20% 10% 10% 0% 0% Overall HH with elderly 65+ 0-1 assets Secondary 3+ assets HH w/o children HH with children 0-17 Tertiary or more 2 assets Primary or less Age [18-24] Age [25-54] Age [55-64] Age [65+] Male Female Female w/ children (0-12 yo) Secondary Primary or less Tertiary and more Female w/ children (0-5 yo) HH composition Level of education of the HH possession of assets HH Overall Gender Age group Education level % who were employed pre-pandemic and left labor force % who were employed pre-pandemic and now unemployed Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: INDIVIDUALS (18+ years old) Childcare Labor Health Finance responsibilities % of employed % of inactive % of population who Distribution among groups population (pre- population (pre- % of population who % of formal workers is not planning to get pandemic) who lost pandemic) who spent more time % of population using (pre-pandemic) who vaccinated or unsure their pre-pandemic became active accompanying mobile wallets became informal (vaccination job (employed or children's education hesitancy) unemployed) Overall 22.4% 41.2% 21.5% 48.3% 4.9% 7.0% Females 34.7% 36.7% 16.3% 48.3% 6.0% 6.6% Males 13.5% 52.7% 24.7% 48.4% 3.7% 7.4% 18 to 25 years old 24.7% 72.8% 42.2% 34.7% 4.4% 9.6% 26 to 45 years old 20.9% 53.3% 19.3% 55.0% 5.6% 8.2% 46 to 64 years old 21.2% 25.5% 16.5% 49.9% 5.4% 4.4% 65 and older 44.6% 18.3% 17.4% 16.9% 0.6% 4.7% Primary or less 40.3% 23.8% 14.2% 39.8% 3.5% 5.6% Secondary 21.1% 47.3% 30.9% 47.7% 6.1% 6.6% Tertiary and more 17.4% 51.5% 12.1% 53.6% 3.6% 8.3% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: HOUSEHOLDS AND CHILDREN Income Food Insecurity Education (6-17 yo) Connectivity % HH that received % of children in % HHs that had Distribution among groups % HH that report a % of children in school Emergency school age who problems with reduction in total % HHs that ran out of age who attended Government interacted with internet service due income (current v. pre- food (last 30 days) school (in person or Transfers during the teacher (in-person or to poor access quality pandemic) virtually) pandemic online classes) / speed Overall 47.8% 41.1% 34.0% 83.6% 69.1% 62.3% HH w/o children (0-17) 42.1% 38.9% 29.5% - - 59.3% HH with children (0-17) 51.2% 42.5% 36.7% 83.6% 69.1% 63.9% HH with elderly (65+) 44.4% 50.0% 36.3% 79.8% 64.4% 55.6% 0-1 assets 66.4% 27.9% 63.5% 83.2% 59.7% 74.6% 2 assets 54.1% 46.1% 43.6% 77.7% 66.2% 70.3% 3+ assets 41.2% 41.6% 23.7% 86.3% 71.7% 57.5% HH education - Primary or less 45.2% 42.7% 42.9% 79.2% 62.9% 58.4% HH education - Secondary 50.1% 41.2% 36.9% 82.4% 68.0% 63.2% HH education - Tertiary or more 47.7% 35.3% 18.7% 94.0% 83.8% 66.7% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEY The World Bank and UNDP conducted a multi-wave High-Frequency Phone Survey (HFPS) in 2021 to assess the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the welfare of Latin American and Caribbean households. The first wave was collected between May and July 2021, and the data is nationally representative for 24 countries: Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Lucia and Uruguay. The data for Brazil was collected between July 26 and October 1. The HFPS provides information on the welfare impacts that households experienced with respect to food insecurity, changes in employment, income changes, access to health and education services, and coping mechanisms. Key indicators on socioeconomic effects are available at the COVID-19 monitoring global dashboard, which provides 96 harmonized indicators across 50 countries in Latin America and the world. For further information, see World Bank and UNDP (2021). Produced by the World Bank Group and UNDP. Contacts for additional information: Alejandro De La Fuente, World Bank Group (adelafuente@worldbank.org) Inka Mattila, UNDP (Inka.mattila@undp.org; policyresponse.lac@undp.org ) COVID-19 IN LAC ECUADOR 2021 LAC HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEYS: Results Phase II, Wave 1 April 2022 Like other countries in the LAC region, Ecuador was severely hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, the country's GDP fell by 7.8 percent, above the region's contraction of 6.7 percent. In 2021, GDP started to recover with an estimated growth of 3.9 percent, yet recovery in the labor market was slower. The High-Frequency Phone Survey (HFPS) conducted in Ecuador in mid-2021, showed that the impact on welfare was still being felt over a year into the pandemic. About 3 out of 10 workers had lost their pre-pandemic job, and almost half of them had exited the labor force altogether. Women, especially those with children, young adults, the elderly, and low-skilled workers, were more frequently affected by job losses. The pandemic also took its toll on the quality of work. By mid-2021, 27.2 percent of the previously formal workers had transited into informal jobs, while average working hours dropped from 44.3 hours a week to 35.0. On the other hand, a large share (41.1 percent) of the formerly inactive population entered the labor force during the pandemic. Almost three-quarters of them found a job, although most in informality. These conditions deteriorated household welfare and food security. By mid-2021, two-thirds of households reported that their income remained below pre-pandemic levels. Around 70 percent of households reported a reduction in income from wages and family businesses. The erosion of household income and the transitions from inactivity suggest that government transfers were insufficient to compensate for income losses, even though 21.8 percent of households received emergency assistance during the pandemic. There were also concerning impacts on food security: by mid-2021, 16.7 percent of households reported an adult had stopped eating for an entire day due to lack of money or other resources, and nearly half of households said they ran out of food in the 30 days preceding the survey, almost twice than before the pandemic. This situation was even more pervasive among the more vulnerable households, as proxied by the level of education of the household head and asset ownership. Internet connectivity was critical to households' resilience during the pandemic throughout the region. It is still a significant challenge in Ecuador. Of 70.7 percent of households with an Internet connection, 68.6 percent reported having quality problems with the service. Virtuality was the prevalent form of school attendance in Ecuador until June 2021. 93.4 percent of school-age children were attending school at the time of the survey (online or in-person). Most children were engaged in learning activities involving direct interaction with a teacher (83.4 percent) but attending school in person was still exceptional. School closures increased the burden of household responsibilities on adults. Unequal intra-household arrangements resulted in 48.9 percent of women versus 33.0 percent of men reporting an increase in the time spent supporting children's education during the pandemic. However, a third of men reporting an increased burden is unprecedented. JOB LOSS (% OF PRE-PANDEMIC WORKERS) HOUSEHOLDS (%) WITH REDUCED INCOME 80% 70% 70% 60% 60% 50% 50% 40% 40% 30% 30% 20% 20% 10% 10% 0% 0% Overall Urban HH with elderly 65+ 0-1 assets Rural HH with children 0-17 Secondary 3+ assets HH w/o children 2 assets Tertiary or more Primary or less Age [18-24] Age [25-54] Age [55-64] Age [65+] Male Urban Female Rural Secondary Female w/ children (0-12 yo) Tertiary and more Primary or less Female w/ children (0-5 yo) Area HH composition Level of education of HH possession of the HH assets Overall Area Gender Age group Education level % who were employed pre-pandemic and left labor force % who were employed pre-pandemic and now unemployed Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: INDIVIDUALS (18+ years old) Childcare Labor Health Finance responsibilities % of inactive % of employed % of population who Distribution among groups population (pre- % of population who population (pre- % of formal workers is not planning to get pandemic) who spent more time % of population using pandemic) who lost (pre-pandemic) who vaccinated or unsure became active accompanying mobile wallets their pre-pandemic became informal (vaccination (employed or children's education job hesitancy) unemployed) Overall 29.0% 41.1% 27.2% 41.5% 20.7% 5.5% Rural 26.3% 53.4% 25.7% 36.4% 20.5% 3.0% Urban 30.6% 34.7% 28.1% 44.7% 20.9% 6.9% Females 40.6% 38.1% 29.0% 48.9% 17.4% 6.2% Males 19.6% 48.6% 26.2% 33.0% 24.2% 4.7% 18 to 25 years old 42.8% 52.7% 21.0% 36.6% 27.9% 8.0% 26 to 45 years old 21.5% 56.9% 31.7% 47.2% 20.5% 6.4% 46 to 64 years old 29.4% 31.2% 24.2% 39.2% 21.7% 3.9% 65 and older 57.7% 4.4% 5.8% 1.3% 6.0% 0.1% Primary or less 30.4% 21.7% 26.5% 25.9% 22.5% 3.3% Secondary 30.0% 49.4% 30.7% 51.2% 21.2% 5.3% Tertiary and more 19.4% 49.7% 16.6% 60.1% 12.5% 14.0% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: HOUSEHOLDS AND CHILDREN Income Food Insecurity Education (6-17 yo) Connectivity % HH that received % of children in % HHs that had Distribution among groups % HH that report a % of children in school Emergency school age who problems with reduction in total % HHs that ran out of age who attended Government interacted with internet service due income (current v. pre- food (last 30 days) school (in person or Transfers during the teacher (in-person or to poor access quality pandemic) virtually) pandemic online classes) / speed Overall 66.1% 21.8% 48.5% 93.4% 83.4% 68.6% Rural 66.2% 28.2% 56.5% 95.0% 79.7% 67.9% Urban 66.1% 18.3% 44.3% 92.4% 85.7% 68.8% HH w/o children (0-17) 61.7% 16.0% 37.8% - - 64.8% HH with children (0-17) 68.0% 24.2% 53.1% 93.4% 83.4% 70.2% HH with elderly (65+) 60.8% 20.2% 44.2% 92.3% 82.4% 67.8% 0-1 assets 71.4% 25.7% 71.1% 90.9% 75.2% 65.3% 2 assets 63.9% 27.0% 46.3% 92.4% 82.5% 69.8% 3+ assets 62.5% 13.1% 26.4% 97.1% 93.2% 69.4% HH education - Primary or less 65.8% 26.4% 58.9% 91.3% 76.0% 68.3% HH education - Secondary 70.3% 25.5% 50.4% 95.1% 86.1% 70.0% HH education - Tertiary or more 59.0% 9.5% 31.5% 95.1% 92.1% 65.7% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEY The World Bank and UNDP conducted a multi-wave High-Frequency Phone Survey (HFPS) in 2021 to assess the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the welfare of Latin American and Caribbean households. The first wave was collected between May and July 2021, and the data is nationally representative for 24 countries: Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Lucia and Uruguay. The data for Brazil was collected between July 26 and October 1. The HFPS provides information on the welfare impacts that households experienced with respect to food insecurity, changes in employment, income changes, access to health and education services, and coping mechanisms. Key indicators on socioeconomic effects are available at the COVID-19 monitoring global dashboard, which provides 96 harmonized indicators across 50 countries in Latin America and the world. For further information, see World Bank and UNDP (2021). Produced by the World Bank Group and UNDP. Contacts for additional information: Sergio Olivieri, World Bank Group (solivieri@worldbank.org) Matilde Mordt, UNDP (Matilde.mordt@undp.org; policyresponse.lac@undp.org ) COVID-19 IN LAC EL SALVADOR 2021 LAC HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEYS: Results Phase II, Wave 1 April 2022 The COVID-19 crisis is expected to reverse hard-won gains in poverty reduction, equality, and shared prosperity in El Salvador. The country managed to enact one of the region's most generous fiscal response packages despite entering the COVID-19 crisis with a fragile fiscal situation: the largest debt level (73.6 percent of GDP) in Central America in 2019. However, emergency transfers were not enough to compensate for pronounced income losses across the entire income distribution, particularly among the poorest households. Remittances did not act as a safety net for the poor during the pandemic, either. About a quarter of households reported running out of food in the 30 days before the survey, 7.4 percent reported adults missing meals, and 27.6 percent reported switching to less healthy foods. Those with lower education levels and fewer assets were even more likely to report food insecurity. These numbers show improvement compared to those from the beginning of the pandemic, when about 39.5 percent of households reported running out of food, despite the distribution of food baskets under the Programa de Emergencia Sanitaria. However, by mid-2021, the country was still far from its pre-pandemic level, and food insecurity remained a concern. In 2021, the Salvadoran labor market showed positive signs but was still far from complete recovery. The country experienced a modest increase, of 4.2 percentage points, in the employment-to-population ratio (18+) relative to pre-pandemic levels, explained by a large share of previously inactive people entering the labor force (48.0 percent). Almost half of these entrants were women with primary or secondary education across all age ranges, and almost one-third were men with primary or secondary education. Among those employed before the pandemic, 14.9 percent lost their pre-pandemic jobs, and most of them (70.9 percent) chose to exit the labor market altogether, particularly women. Workers also transited between formality and informality and of the previously formal workers, 16.7 percent became informal. Internet connectivity and access to digital banking services were critical to households' resilience during the pandemic throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. However, both are still elusive to households in El Salvador and a major challenge looking forward. Only 42.8 percent of households reported having internet service, and 63.2 percent of these households reported lacking service quality. Only 7.2 percent of individuals reported using mobile wallets. The absence or poor quality of internet service was particularly costly for students who were not yet attending school in person (33.8 percent of those currently attending in mid-2021) and whose schools offered virtual education. JOB LOSS (% OF PRE-PANDEMIC WORKERS) HOUSEHOLDS (%) WITH REDUCED INCOME 50% 40% 45% 40% 30% 35% 30% 25% 20% 20% 15% 10% 10% 5% 0% 0% Overall HH with elderly 65+ 0-1 assets Secondary 3+ assets HH w/o children HH with children 0-17 Tertiary or more 2 assets Primary or less Age [18-24] Age [25-54] Age [55-64] Age [65+] Male Female Female w/ children (0-12 yo) Secondary Primary or less Tertiary and more Female w/ children (0-5 yo) HH composition Level of education of the HH possession of assets HH Overall Gender Age group Education level % who were employed pre-pandemic and left labor force % who were employed pre-pandemic and now unemployed Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: INDIVIDUALS (18+ years old) Childcare Labor Health Finance responsibilities % of employed % of inactive % of population who Distribution among groups population (pre- population (pre- % of population who % of formal workers is not planning to get pandemic) who lost pandemic) who spent more time % of population using (pre-pandemic) who vaccinated or unsure their pre-pandemic became active accompanying mobile wallets became informal (vaccination job (employed or children's education hesitancy) unemployed) Overall 14.9% 48.0% 16.7% 38.7% 7.6% 7.2% Females 19.2% 42.8% 18.7% 43.6% 8.7% 6.7% Males 11.2% 61.7% 15.5% 32.1% 6.3% 7.8% 18 to 25 years old 19.5% 54.7% 5.9% 37.8% 7.7% 5.8% 26 to 45 years old 12.5% 56.7% 20.8% 45.7% 8.8% 6.9% 46 to 64 years old 13.8% 39.5% 12.7% 25.5% 5.8% 8.8% 65 and older 28.8% 25.5% 15.3% 30.6% 7.3% 7.4% Primary or less 22.0% 34.0% 23.6% 23.4% 10.7% 5.8% Secondary 16.5% 50.1% 16.1% 41.1% 7.2% 8.0% Tertiary and more 7.6% 64.5% 16.1% 50.3% 5.7% 6.7% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: HOUSEHOLDS AND CHILDREN Income Food Insecurity Education (6-17 yo) Connectivity % HH that received % of children in % HHs that had Distribution among groups % HH that report a % of children in school Emergency school age who problems with reduction in total % HHs that ran out of age who attended Government interacted with internet service due income (current v. pre- food (last 30 days) school (in person or Transfers during the teacher (in-person or to poor access quality pandemic) virtually) pandemic online classes) / speed Overall 38.9% 89.5% 24.0% 92.1% 86.7% 63.2% HH w/o children (0-17) 31.7% 86.0% 17.1% - - 60.3% HH with children (0-17) 42.7% 91.2% 27.5% 92.1% 86.7% 64.6% HH with elderly (65+) 35.4% 91.0% 26.0% 87.8% 81.8% 69.1% 0-1 assets 47.2% 90.9% 33.7% 87.5% 81.6% 63.5% 2 assets 33.7% 91.2% 21.9% 96.7% 91.0% 65.7% 3+ assets 28.2% 85.1% 7.6% 97.1% 93.3% 60.5% HH education - Primary or less 39.9% 92.3% 35.5% 85.7% 82.3% 67.8% HH education - Secondary 42.4% 91.5% 20.9% 95.4% 87.8% 61.5% HH education - Tertiary or more 29.0% 79.4% 9.1% 97.9% 96.2% 62.3% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEY The World Bank and UNDP conducted a multi-wave High-Frequency Phone Survey (HFPS) in 2021 to assess the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the welfare of Latin American and Caribbean households. The first wave was collected between May and July 2021, and the data is nationally representative for 24 countries: Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Lucia and Uruguay. The data for Brazil was collected between July 26 and October 1. The HFPS provides information on the welfare impacts that households experienced with respect to food insecurity, changes in employment, income changes, access to health and education services, and coping mechanisms. Key indicators on socioeconomic effects are available at the COVID-19 monitoring global dashboard, which provides 96 harmonized indicators across 50 countries in Latin America and the world. For further information, see World Bank and UNDP (2021). Produced by the World Bank Group and UNDP. Contacts for additional information: Monica Robayo, World Bank Group (mrobayo@worldbank.org) Georgiana Braga, UNDP (Georgiana.braga@undp.org; policyresponse.lac@undp.org ) COVID-19 IN LAC GUATEMALA 2021 LAC HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEYS: Results Phase II, Wave 1 April 2022 COVID-19 will have long-lasting repercussions on the wellbeing of Guatemalans, despite the unprecedented response from the government and the fast economic recovery in 2021 (projected GDP growth is 7.6 percent). Progress is curbed by a sluggish vaccination effort: by February 2022 less than 40.0 percent of the population was fully vaccinated, one of the lowest rates in the region. The High- Frequency Phone Survey (HFPS) shows that vaccination hesitancy is high, and by mid-2021, around 30.0 percent of Guatemalans were not planning to get vaccinated or were unsure about it, well above the regional average of 8.0 percent. By mid-2021, overall employment was 2.7 percentage points above pre-pandemic levels, but there was a shift in the composition of the labor force and a deterioration in the quality of employment. For instance, there was a 4.2 percentage-point decline in formal employment and a 14.2 percent decline in the average hours worked per week. Also, women who had been employed before the pandemic were four times more likely to have lost their job than men (26.0 percent versus 6.3 percent), partly explained by an uneven increase in childcare responsibilities. However, the largest movement in the labor market corresponds to previously inactive individuals entering the labor force (43.4 percent), with low-skilled individuals comprising most entrants. This entry alone compensated all jobs losses, explaining the higher employment level compared to before the pandemic. By mid-2021, the newly active made up 15.4 percent of the employed, mostly in the informal sector (89.7 percent). Emergency government transfers, unprecedented for Guatemala, helped to mitigate some of the adverse impacts. By mid-2021, one out of two households had received cash transfers during the pandemic. Despite this effort, income and food security in Guatemala had not returned to their pre-pandemic levels: 45.1 percent of households reported income levels below pre-pandemic levels and about one-third reported food insecurity. Income losses and food insecurity were more frequent for rural households, widening existing socioeconomic gaps. Nonetheless, the results show an improvement compared to the height of the pandemic (mid-2020) when these indicators were 69.9 and 50.0 percent respectively. Guatemala also experienced one of the region’s largest declines in school attendance during the pandemic, especially among vulnerable children. By mid-2021, only 64.1 percent of school-age children attended school either in person or virtually, a 29.9 percentage point difference compared to pre-pandemic attendance levels. This will likely have negative long-term consequences for human capital and productivity, particularly among the poor and vulnerable, given their limited access to the Internet and other educational resources. JOB LOSS (% OF PRE-PANDEMIC WORKERS) HOUSEHOLDS (%) WITH REDUCED INCOME 60% 40% 50% 30% 40% 30% 20% 20% 10% 10% 0% 0% Overall Urban HH with elderly 65+ 0-1 assets Rural HH with children 0-17 Secondary 3+ assets HH w/o children 2 assets Tertiary or more Primary or less Age [18-24] Age [25-54] Age [55-64] Age [65+] Male Urban Female Rural Secondary Female w/ children (0-12 yo) Tertiary and more Primary or less Female w/ children (0-5 yo) Area HH composition Level of education of HH possession of the HH assets Overall Area Gender Age group Education level % who were employed pre-pandemic and left labor force % who were employed pre-pandemic and now unemployed Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: INDIVIDUALS (18+ years old) Childcare Labor Health Finance responsibilities % of inactive % of employed % of population who Distribution among groups population (pre- % of population who population (pre- % of formal workers is not planning to get pandemic) who spent more time % of population using pandemic) who lost (pre-pandemic) who vaccinated or unsure became active accompanying mobile wallets their pre-pandemic became informal (vaccination (employed or children's education job hesitancy) unemployed) Overall 14.4% 43.4% 24.8% 37.7% 30.0% 13.8% Rural 15.3% 43.5% 29.5% 34.5% 36.7% 10.9% Urban 13.6% 43.2% 22.2% 40.9% 23.4% 16.6% Females 26.0% 34.1% 18.4% 44.7% 31.4% 11.3% Males 6.3% 74.9% 26.8% 29.0% 28.6% 16.5% 18 to 25 years old 17.6% 60.7% 26.0% 25.9% 30.3% 16.1% 26 to 45 years old 13.1% 37.1% 26.0% 46.3% 33.7% 14.4% 46 to 64 years old 15.2% 33.8% 16.6% 30.9% 25.1% 11.1% 65 and older 10.3% 27.9% 44.5% 7.6% 19.3% 9.2% Primary or less 15.4% 36.4% 29.7% 34.5% 34.6% 9.4% Secondary 13.5% 54.2% 26.2% 40.8% 24.5% 19.0% Tertiary and more 11.1% 62.8% 14.1% 54.1% 17.1% 25.9% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: HOUSEHOLDS AND CHILDREN Income Food Insecurity Education (6-17 yo) Connectivity % HH that received % of children in % HHs that had Distribution among groups % HH that report a % of children in school Emergency school age who problems with reduction in total % HHs that ran out of age who attended Government interacted with internet service due income (current v. pre- food (last 30 days) school (in person or Transfers during the teacher (in-person or to poor access quality pandemic) virtually) pandemic online classes) / speed Overall 45.1% 55.8% 27.9% 64.1% 56.2% 54.2% Rural 47.0% 62.2% 34.9% 57.2% 52.0% 51.7% Urban 43.5% 50.1% 21.7% 70.6% 60.2% 55.2% HH w/o children (0-17) 39.0% 46.4% 26.6% - - 57.4% HH with children (0-17) 48.2% 60.5% 28.6% 64.1% 56.2% 52.5% HH with elderly (65+) 47.6% 52.6% 28.8% 67.5% 56.8% 58.5% 0-1 assets 48.5% 56.6% 39.3% 56.4% 47.1% 54.0% 2 assets 41.6% 52.4% 16.2% 63.8% 53.6% 50.1% 3+ assets 39.5% 56.5% 8.0% 84.1% 81.6% 56.1% HH education - Primary or less 47.4% 61.0% 37.0% 58.1% 48.8% 54.5% HH education - Secondary 44.6% 52.9% 21.6% 70.0% 63.3% 52.0% HH education - Tertiary or more 37.8% 40.0% 5.7% 84.5% 78.7% 57.1% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEY The World Bank and UNDP conducted a multi-wave High-Frequency Phone Survey (HFPS) in 2021 to assess the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the welfare of Latin American and Caribbean households. The first wave was collected between May and July 2021, and the data is nationally representative for 24 countries: Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Lucia and Uruguay. The data for Brazil was collected between July 26 and October 1. The HFPS provides information on the welfare impacts that households experienced with respect to food insecurity, changes in employment, income changes, access to health and education services, and coping mechanisms. Key indicators on socioeconomic effects are available at the COVID-19 monitoring global dashboard, which provides 96 harmonized indicators across 50 countries in Latin America and the world. For further information, see World Bank and UNDP (2021). Produced by the World Bank Group and UNDP. Contacts for additional information: Carolina Mejia-Mantilla, World Bank Group (cmejiamantilla@worldbank.org) Ana Maria Diaz, UNDP (Ana.maria.diaz@undp.org; policyresponse.lac@undp.org ) COVID-19 IN LAC GUYANA 2021 LAC HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEYS: Results Phase II, Wave 1 April 2022 Contrary to global and regional trends, Guyana was one of the fastest-growing economies in 2020. Primarily due to the start of oil production after recent offshore discoveries, GDP grew by 43.5 percent in 2020 and 21.2 percent in 2021. Nevertheless, the negative consequences of containment measures implemented during the pandemic on household welfare, as well as demand and supply disruptions, persisted more than a year after its onset. Data from the High-Frequency Phone Surveys (HFPS), conducted in mid-2021, show that more than 1 in 5 Guyanese who had been working before the pandemic were either out of the labor force (15.2 percent) or unemployed (8.0 percent) at the time of the survey. Women, younger workers, and people with lower education levels were more heavily affected. Heavier involvement of women in childcare and unpaid domestic work in the household during the pandemic, compared to men, was likely a factor behind these unequal labor market outcomes. Women were more likely than men to report an increase in the time spent supporting children’s education during the pandemic. Nevertheless, the proportion of men reporting such an increase was considerable (49.8 percent). Job loss in Guyana was countered by the influx of 35.5 percent of the previously inactive population into activity. By mid-2021, the job market entrants made up over one tenth of the employed and almost a fifth of the unemployed. The HFPS shows, however, that jobs became more precarious: 11.1 percent of workers employed in the formal sector before the pandemic had transitioned into informality by mid-2021 and most entrants who managed to secure a job were employed in the informal sector (78.6 percent). Developments on the labor market are reflected in household income. Nearly half of households (47.3 percent) said their total household income was still below pre-pandemic levels in mid-2021. In 2020, the government introduced an unconditional emergency cash transfer to help households cope with the shocks related to the pandemic. Almost 3 out of every 4 households (74.2 percent) reported receiving this emergency support from the government. Indicators of food insecurity and engagement in education are concerning, given their substantial long-term impacts on welfare if left unaddressed. About 4 in 10 households (40.7 percent) ran out of food due to lack of money or other resources within the 30 days preceding the survey, compared to 15.8 before the pandemic (based on recall data). At the same time, only 63.7 percent of school-age children attended school (either in person or virtually), and no more than 51.4 percent were engaged in learning activities involving direct interaction with a teacher (online or in-person). Teacher interaction was less common for children from poorer households (proxied by asset ownership). Moreover, while 62.8 percent of households had Internet, the vast majority of these (70.1 percent) had problems with the quality of service. Recovery will partly depend on effective vaccination. In Guyana, 18.2 percent of the population was not planning to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or was unsure about it in mid-2021. JOB LOSS (% OF PRE-PANDEMIC WORKERS) HOUSEHOLDS (%) WITH REDUCED INCOME 60% 40% 50% 30% 40% 30% 20% 20% 10% 10% 0% 0% Overall HH with elderly 65+ 0-1 assets Secondary 3+ assets HH w/o children HH with children 0-17 Tertiary or more 2 assets Primary or less Age [18-24] Age [25-54] Age [55-64] Age [65+] Male Female Female w/ children (0-12 yo) Secondary Primary or less Tertiary and more Female w/ children (0-5 yo) HH composition Level of education of the HH possession of assets HH Overall Gender Age group Education level % who were employed pre-pandemic and left labor force % who were employed pre-pandemic and now unemployed Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: INDIVIDUALS (18+ years old) Childcare Labor Health Finance responsibilities % of employed % of inactive % of population who Distribution among groups population (pre- population (pre- % of population who % of formal workers is not planning to get pandemic) who lost pandemic) who spent more time % of population using (pre-pandemic) who vaccinated or unsure their pre-pandemic became active accompanying mobile wallets became informal (vaccination job (employed or children's education hesitancy) unemployed) Overall 23.3% 35.5% 11.1% 54.7% 18.2% 10.9% Females 33.4% 33.1% 9.5% 58.0% 17.9% 9.2% Males 16.8% 42.9% 12.0% 49.8% 18.5% 12.7% 18 to 25 years old 26.5% 63.9% 5.0% 50.1% 21.0% 12.4% 26 to 45 years old 22.8% 39.6% 11.3% 62.1% 18.2% 12.3% 46 to 64 years old 21.3% 25.0% 9.4% 43.8% 16.9% 10.5% 65 and older 26.6% 7.3% 64.0% 21.7% 14.6% 0.0% Primary or less 27.9% 24.3% 9.2% 39.0% 15.3% 9.6% Secondary 24.1% 40.8% 12.3% 58.1% 19.2% 9.1% Tertiary and more 15.2% 31.3% 9.9% 67.2% 18.5% 20.3% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: HOUSEHOLDS AND CHILDREN Income Food Insecurity Education (6-17 yo) Connectivity % HH that received % of children in % HHs that had Distribution among groups % HH that report a % of children in school Emergency school age who problems with reduction in total % HHs that ran out of age who attended Government interacted with internet service due income (current v. pre- food (last 30 days) school (in person or Transfers during the teacher (in-person or to poor access quality pandemic) virtually) pandemic online classes) / speed Overall 47.3% 74.2% 40.7% 63.7% 51.4% 70.1% HH w/o children (0-17) 41.8% 72.6% 32.5% - - 72.1% HH with children (0-17) 51.3% 75.3% 46.7% 63.7% 51.4% 68.7% HH with elderly (65+) 37.6% 75.9% 38.2% 58.6% 56.3% 63.5% 0-1 assets 44.6% 73.4% 54.7% 49.5% 26.8% 68.0% 2 assets 50.7% 74.7% 43.7% 64.2% 54.6% 71.5% 3+ assets 46.4% 74.3% 28.9% 73.9% 67.4% 69.8% HH education - Primary or less 46.3% 77.4% 41.4% 58.1% 44.7% 65.1% HH education - Secondary 46.9% 76.1% 42.0% 65.0% 53.9% 71.7% HH education - Tertiary or more 51.6% 60.0% 35.4% 71.2% 54.5% 71.2% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEY The World Bank and UNDP conducted a multi-wave High-Frequency Phone Survey (HFPS) in 2021 to assess the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the welfare of Latin American and Caribbean households. The first wave was collected between May and July 2021, and the data is nationally representative for 24 countries: Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Lucia and Uruguay. The data for Brazil was collected between July 26 and October 1. The HFPS provides information on the welfare impacts that households experienced with respect to food insecurity, changes in employment, income changes, access to health and education services, and coping mechanisms. Key indicators on socioeconomic effects are available at the COVID-19 monitoring global dashboard, which provides 96 harmonized indicators across 50 countries in Latin America and the world. For further information, see World Bank and UNDP (2021). Produced by the World Bank Group and UNDP. Contacts for additional information: Anna Luisa Paffhausen, World Bank Group (apaffhausen@worldbank.org) Jairo Valverde, UNDP (Jairo.valverde@undp.org; policyresponse.lac@undp.org ) COVID-19 IN LAC HONDURAS 2021 LAC HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEYS: Results Phase II, Wave 1 April 2022 A year and a half into the pandemic, the adverse effects on welfare in Honduras were still evident, according to the High-Frequency Phone Survey (HFPS). By mid-2021, about 1 in 3 workers had lost their pre-pandemic job, and 61.4 percent of them had left the labor force altogether. Job loss rates were higher for women (50.5 percent), the elderly of 65+ (45.2 percent), and individuals between 18 and 25 years of age (37.0 percent). Among those who lost their job and transitioned to inactivity, 68.9 percent were low-skilled people with primary education, and 66.8 percent are women. There was also a large share of previously inactive people entering the labor force during the pandemic (43.7 percent). About 57.9 percent of the entrants into activity were women across all age ranges, most of them with primary education (64.9 percent) and with children under 18 (60.5 percent). The new active, who likely entered the labor market to avoid falling into poverty, represented 21.1 percent of the employed and 25.7 percent of the unemployed by mid-2021. Workers also transited between formality and informality, a sign of job quality deterioration. Of the previously formal workers, 12.9 percent became informal, particularly women (18.6 percent) and the youngest cohort (16.0 percent). Despite substantial support from the government in the form of regular and emergency transfers (such as Bono Vida Mejor), which covered two out of every five households in Honduras, about 40.9 percent of households still reported that their income was below the pre-pandemic level. Together with transits from inactivity into activity, these findings suggest emergency transfers were insufficient to compensate for income loss. However, Honduras was successful in containing increased hunger in 2021. Food insecurity lessened compared to its level at the beginning of the pandemic, although it remains above its pre-pandemic level. By mid-2021, more than one- third of households ran out of food during the 30 days preceding the survey. The incidence was higher for families with primary-educated heads (41.6 percent) and lower asset ownership (46.5 percent). Only 73.6 percent of school-age children were attending school at the time of the survey (in person or virtually). Moreover, only 55.7 percent had a direct interaction with a teacher. Limited connectivity likely difficulted virtual learning as 61.6 percent of households with an internet connection (40.2 percent of the total) reported poor service quality. Unequal intra-household arrangements, coupled with schooled closures, resulted in 47.0 percent more women than men reporting an increase in the time spent supporting children’s education during the pandemic. However, the burden increased for both women (36.6 percent) and men (24.9). Access to digital financial services is still elusive to households in Honduras and a significant challenge looking forward: only 29.2 percent of individuals reported using mobile wallets in mid-2021. Finally, a full recovery will depend on an effective vaccination campaign. Vaccination hesitancy in Honduras (at 15.6 percent) is above the LAC average (at 8.0 percent) and is higher among the youth and the less educated groups. JOB LOSS (% OF PRE-PANDEMIC WORKERS) HOUSEHOLDS (%) WITH REDUCED INCOME 50% 60% 45% 40% 50% 35% 40% 30% 25% 30% 20% 20% 15% 10% 10% 5% 0% 0% Overall Urban HH with elderly 65+ 0-1 assets Rural HH with children 0-17 Secondary 3+ assets HH w/o children 2 assets Tertiary or more Primary or less Age [18-24] Age [25-54] Age [55-64] Age [65+] Male Urban Female Rural Secondary Female w/ children (0-12 yo) Tertiary and more Primary or less Female w/ children (0-5 yo) Area HH composition Level of education of HH possession of the HH assets Overall Area Gender Age group Education level % who were employed pre-pandemic and left labor force % who were employed pre-pandemic and now unemployed Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: INDIVIDUALS (18+ years old) Childcare Labor Health Finance responsibilities % of inactive % of employed % of population who Distribution among groups population (pre- % of population who population (pre- % of formal workers is not planning to get pandemic) who spent more time % of population using pandemic) who lost (pre-pandemic) who vaccinated or unsure became active accompanying mobile wallets their pre-pandemic became informal (vaccination (employed or children's education job hesitancy) unemployed) Overall 32.1% 43.7% 12.9% 31.7% 15.6% 29.2% Rural 34.1% 46.1% 15.9% 28.3% 16.8% 26.4% Urban 30.6% 41.5% 10.9% 34.5% 14.6% 31.3% Females 50.5% 33.9% 18.6% 36.6% 17.0% 27.5% Males 19.2% 72.1% 10.1% 24.9% 14.0% 31.0% 18 to 25 years old 37.0% 58.1% 16.0% 29.8% 21.8% 37.5% 26 to 45 years old 27.5% 45.7% 14.5% 32.8% 15.2% 26.7% 46 to 64 years old 36.8% 39.6% 4.6% 34.7% 9.4% 29.4% 65 and older 45.2% 13.1% 0.0% 8.4% 16.3% 21.0% Primary or less 35.2% 37.6% 12.8% 27.7% 17.1% 25.0% Secondary 27.9% 53.6% 12.5% 37.4% 14.1% 35.2% Tertiary and more 24.7% 57.3% 14.0% 50.6% 10.2% 38.4% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: HOUSEHOLDS AND CHILDREN Income Food Insecurity Education (6-17 yo) Connectivity % HH that received % of children in % HHs that had Distribution among groups % HH that report a % of children in school Emergency school age who problems with reduction in total % HHs that ran out of age who attended Government interacted with internet service due income (current v. pre- food (last 30 days) school (in person or Transfers during the teacher (in-person or to poor access quality pandemic) virtually) pandemic online classes) / speed Overall 40.9% 38.5% 34.8% 73.6% 55.8% 61.6% Rural 41.8% 40.5% 36.3% 75.3% 57.7% 61.8% Urban 40.3% 37.1% 33.7% 72.2% 54.2% 61.5% HH w/o children (0-17) 35.8% 39.8% 29.1% - - 58.3% HH with children (0-17) 42.8% 38.1% 36.9% 73.6% 55.8% 62.8% HH with elderly (65+) 42.4% 37.0% 32.7% 81.8% 67.4% 60.0% 0-1 assets 42.9% 41.8% 46.5% 67.9% 46.7% 63.7% 2 assets 37.7% 41.0% 27.6% 77.0% 60.3% 60.9% 3+ assets 39.6% 27.2% 13.0% 88.9% 81.2% 58.8% HH education - Primary or less 39.1% 42.2% 41.6% 68.0% 49.2% 62.8% HH education - Secondary 45.8% 39.4% 31.7% 82.0% 66.0% 62.4% HH education - Tertiary or more 38.9% 20.1% 14.6% 86.4% 70.2% 59.1% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEY The World Bank and UNDP conducted a multi-wave High-Frequency Phone Survey (HFPS) in 2021 to assess the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the welfare of Latin American and Caribbean households. The first wave was collected between May and July 2021, and the data is nationally representative for 24 countries: Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Lucia and Uruguay. The data for Brazil was collected between July 26 and October 1. The HFPS provides information on the welfare impacts that households experienced with respect to food insecurity, changes in employment, income changes, access to health and education services, and coping mechanisms. Key indicators on socioeconomic effects are available at the COVID-19 monitoring global dashboard, which provides 96 harmonized indicators across 50 countries in Latin America and the world. For further information, see World Bank and UNDP (2021). Produced by the World Bank Group and UNDP. Contacts for additional information: Monica Robayo, World Bank Group (mrobayo@worldbank.org) Richard Barathe, UNDP (Richard.barathe@undp.org; policyresponse.lac@undp.org ) COVID-19 IN LAC HAITI 2021 LAC HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEYS: Results Phase II, Wave 1 April 2022 In Haiti, the pandemic was yet another shock to an already weakened economy that had shrunk by 1.7 percent in 2019. Deteriorating conditions have been marked by instability, reductions in external financing, high inflation and depreciation, social unrest, and exogenous hazards such as Hurricane Mathew in 2016. Before the pandemic, the country had been engulfed in turmoil resulting in the halt of economic activities, suspension of schooling activities, and shortages of fuel, water, food, and medicine. These were further exacerbated by the global spread of the virus and the assassination of President Moise in July 2021. The High-Frequency Phone Survey (HFPS) reveals adverse impacts from these multiple shocks. In mid-2021, 45.6 percent of workers had lost their pre-pandemic job, and three-quarters of them had left the labor force altogether. Women in peak productivity ages (26-45 years old) represented more than a quarter of the workers entering inactivity. Job losses were accompanied by increased informality: 13.8 percent of previously formal workers had transitioned into informal employment at the time of the survey. Conversely, 44.7 percent of formerly inactive individuals had joined the labor force by mid-2021, likely forced by income loss. Two-thirds of them found a job, but most new jobs were informal (92.9 percent). At the time of the survey, the newly active population made up 28.5 percent of the employed and 39.9 percent of the unemployed. In line with job loss and increased informality, total household income was severely affected, with 67.7 percent of households experiencing a reduction in total income compared to before the pandemic. In April 2020, the government announced that 1.5 million households would receive a one-time cash transfer. However, according to the HFPS, only 2.6 percent of households received emergency assistance during the pandemic. The erosion of household resources and limited reach of emergency coverage has likely worsened an already critical food insecurity scenario. According to the HFPS, half of Haitian households recalled having faced food insecurity pre- pandemic, but by mid-2021, this figure increased to 66.4 percent of households. Only 5.6 percent of households have an internet connection, and 75.8 percent of them report problems related to service quality. Lacking connectivity has likely contributed to an increased educational lag. Only 78.3 percent of school-age children attended school (in person or virtually) in mid-2021, and 63.8 percent participated in learning activities involving direct interaction with a teacher (in person or via online sessions). Access to healthcare is limited: 1 in every 10 Haitians needing services reported not having access. Moreover, Haiti has the lowest vaccination rate in the region, while vaccination hesitancy was very high: According to the HFPS, 59.4 percent of the population reported not planning on getting the vaccine or being unsure about it. JOB LOSS (% OF PRE-PANDEMIC WORKERS) HOUSEHOLDS (%) WITH REDUCED INCOME 80% 80% 70% 70% 60% 60% 50% 50% 40% 40% 30% 30% 20% 20% 10% 10% 0% 0% Overall HH with elderly 65+ 0-1 assets Secondary 3+ assets HH w/o children HH with children 0-17 Tertiary or more 2 assets Primary or less Age [18-24] Age [25-54] Age [55-64] Age [65+] Male Female Female w/ children (0-12 yo) Secondary Primary or less Tertiary and more Female w/ children (0-5 yo) HH composition Level of education of the HH possession of assets HH Overall Gender Age group Education level % who were employed pre-pandemic and left labor force % who were employed pre-pandemic and now unemployed Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: INDIVIDUALS (18+ years old) Childcare Labor Health Finance responsibilities % of employed % of inactive % of population who Distribution among groups population (pre- population (pre- % of population who % of formal workers is not planning to get pandemic) who lost pandemic) who spent more time % of population using (pre-pandemic) who vaccinated or unsure their pre-pandemic became active accompanying mobile wallets became informal (vaccination job (employed or children's education hesitancy) unemployed) Overall 45.6% 44.7% 13.8% 39.2% 59.4% 56.5% Females 53.5% 40.6% 9.6% 40.2% 66.3% 52.8% Males 39.8% 51.3% 16.6% 38.1% 51.9% 60.4% 18 to 25 years old 60.5% 37.3% 9.0% 37.2% 59.4% 52.3% 26 to 45 years old 43.0% 54.9% 15.4% 42.9% 61.3% 59.3% 46 to 64 years old 37.0% 41.4% 14.8% 35.9% 57.4% 56.0% 65 and older 74.8% 28.9% 0.0% 17.8% 47.5% 50.9% Primary or less 49.4% 42.9% 13.0% 31.1% 55.2% 47.9% Secondary 45.6% 44.4% 14.7% 38.8% 58.1% 52.0% Tertiary and more 45.3% 43.6% 13.3% 43.8% 64.4% 73.4% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: HOUSEHOLDS AND CHILDREN Income Food Insecurity Education (6-17 yo) Connectivity % HH that received % of children in % HHs that had Distribution among groups % HH that report a % of children in school Emergency school age who problems with reduction in total % HHs that ran out of age who attended Government interacted with internet service due income (current v. pre- food (last 30 days) school (in person or Transfers during the teacher (in-person or to poor access quality pandemic) virtually) pandemic online classes) / speed Overall 67.7% 2.6% 66.4% 78.3% 64.1% 75.8% HH w/o children (0-17) 66.0% 1.7% 60.1% - - 79.0% HH with children (0-17) 68.4% 3.0% 69.0% 78.3% 64.1% 74.5% HH with elderly (65+) 67.5% 3.5% 70.8% 78.6% 63.0% 72.7% 0-1 assets 69.6% 2.6% 70.6% 76.9% 62.7% 72.4% 2 assets 60.4% 2.4% 51.7% 83.0% 67.7% 80.5% 3+ assets 58.0% 3.9% 41.8% 88.0% 75.7% 72.4% HH education - Primary or less 72.0% 2.5% 72.5% 71.1% 58.5% 74.5% HH education - Secondary 68.3% 3.0% 66.6% 80.9% 65.3% 72.3% HH education - Tertiary or more 62.8% 2.6% 55.8% 85.6% 70.3% 80.8% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEY The World Bank and UNDP conducted a multi-wave High-Frequency Phone Survey (HFPS) in 2021 to assess the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the welfare of Latin American and Caribbean households. The first wave was collected between May and July 2021, and the data is nationally representative for 24 countries: Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Lucia and Uruguay. The data for Brazil was collected between July 26 and October 1. The HFPS provides information on the welfare impacts that households experienced with respect to food insecurity, changes in employment, income changes, access to health and education services, and coping mechanisms. Key indicators on socioeconomic effects are available at the COVID-19 monitoring global dashboard, which provides 96 harmonized indicators across 50 countries in Latin America and the world. For further information, see World Bank and UNDP (2021). Produced by the World Bank Group and UNDP. Contacts for additional information: Olive Nsababera, World Bank Group (onsababera@worldbank.org) Fernando Hiraldo, UNDP (Fernando.hiraldo@undp.org; policyresponse.lac@undp.org ) COVID-19 IN LAC JAMAICA 2021 LAC HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEYS: Results Phase II, Wave 1 April 2022 The pandemic severely impacted the Jamaican economy by disrupting the tourism and service sectors. Jamaica’s GDP recorded negative growth of -10.0 percent in 2020, with adverse effects being felt along many different welfare dimensions and likely increased poverty and inequality among Jamaicans. According to the High-Frequency Phone Survey (HFPS), the labor market faced massive disruptions during the pandemic. One-fourth of pre- pandemic workers lost their jobs, with more than half of these leaving the labor force altogether. Women and young adults were particularly affected by job loss: 33.3 and 39.8 percent, respectively. Among the new inactive population, 63.6 percent were women, mainly with secondary education (60.0 percent of women) and without children (58.9 percent of women). At the same time, half of the previously inactive population entered the labor force during the pandemic (50.9 percent), likely pressed by the need to compensate for lost household income. They represented 11.8 percent of the employed workers and 27.5 percent of the unemployed in mid-2021. Half of the new entrants into the labor force were low-skilled women (50.1 percent), most of them with no children under 18. The pandemic also deteriorated job quality. 11.5 percent of the pre-pandemic formal workers transited into informality, and while most of the previously inactive and unemployed workers had found jobs, most new jobs were informal (73.6 percent). The government responded to the crisis by providing emergency relief to vulnerable households to help them mitigate the impact: 27.0 percent of households received transfers during the pandemic. But emergency transfers were insufficient to compensate for income loss. One in every two households (53.1 percent) reported a reduction in total income compared to pre-pandemic levels. More worrisome, food insecurity significantly increased, with 45.6 percent of households running out of food 30 days before the survey compared to 20.3 percent before the pandemic. Food insecurity was even more frequent among families with primary-educated heads (54.3 percent). Only 79.1 percent of school-age children attended school in person or virtually in mid-2021, and 73.1 percent were interacting with a teacher. However, only 25.3 percent of enrolled children were attending classes in person. Limited connectivity posed a severe challenge to remote learning in Jamaica. Only 59.3 percent of households in the country had an internet connection, and almost two-thirds of them report having problems with service quality. School closures led to women and men experiencing a higher burden of childcare responsibilities. In the survey, 64.3 percent of women and 53.1 percent of men reported an increase in the time spent accompanying their children's education during the pandemic. Access to digital financial services is still elusive to households in Jamaica and a significant challenge looking forward, as only 1.6 percent of individuals reported using mobile wallets in mid-2021. The vaccination rate in Jamaica remained one of the lowest in the region (25.0 percent as of January 2022). According to the HFPS, the country also had the second highest vaccination hesitancy in the region: 49.1 percent of the population did not plan on getting the vaccine or was unsure about it. JOB LOSS (% OF PRE-PANDEMIC WORKERS) HOUSEHOLDS (%) WITH REDUCED INCOME 70% 50% 60% 40% 50% 30% 40% 30% 20% 20% 10% 10% 0% 0% Overall Urban HH with elderly 65+ 0-1 assets Rural HH with children 0-17 Secondary 3+ assets HH w/o children 2 assets Tertiary or more Primary or less Age [18-24] Age [25-54] Age [55-64] Age [65+] Male Urban Female Rural Secondary Female w/ children (0-12 yo) Tertiary and more Primary or less Female w/ children (0-5 yo) Area HH composition Level of education of HH possession of the HH assets Overall Area Gender Age group Education level % who were employed pre-pandemic and left labor force % who were employed pre-pandemic and now unemployed Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: INDIVIDUALS (18+ years old) Childcare Labor Health Finance responsibilities % of inactive % of employed % of population who Distribution among groups population (pre- % of population who population (pre- % of formal workers is not planning to get pandemic) who spent more time % of population using pandemic) who lost (pre-pandemic) who vaccinated or unsure became active accompanying mobile wallets their pre-pandemic became informal (vaccination (employed or children's education job hesitancy) unemployed) Overall 25.8% 50.9% 11.5% 59.4% 49.1% 1.6% Rural 26.8% 51.4% 10.2% 59.9% 51.2% 1.1% Urban 24.8% 50.4% 12.5% 58.8% 47.1% 2.1% Females 33.3% 46.5% 5.0% 64.3% 51.5% 1.5% Males 19.6% 61.3% 17.8% 53.1% 46.7% 1.7% 18 to 25 years old 39.8% 76.8% 20.4% 55.5% 57.8% 4.9% 26 to 45 years old 22.3% 62.6% 7.7% 64.8% 51.1% 1.1% 46 to 64 years old 22.9% 50.6% 13.5% 49.0% 46.6% 0.7% 65 and older 37.0% 21.0% 12.5% 70.0% 34.1% 0.0% Primary or less 27.0% 42.7% 16.8% 41.6% 47.0% 0.0% Secondary 29.0% 59.4% 13.1% 56.3% 52.6% 1.6% Tertiary and more 20.0% 39.2% 9.2% 72.5% 43.3% 2.2% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: HOUSEHOLDS AND CHILDREN Income Food Insecurity Education (6-17 yo) Connectivity % HH that received % of children in % HHs that had Distribution among groups % HH that report a % of children in school Emergency school age who problems with reduction in total % HHs that ran out of age who attended Government interacted with internet service due income (current v. pre- food (last 30 days) school (in person or Transfers during the teacher (in-person or to poor access quality pandemic) virtually) pandemic online classes) / speed Overall 53.1% 27.0% 45.6% 79.1% 73.2% 65.9% Rural 55.6% 28.4% 45.3% 78.0% 71.2% 71.3% Urban 50.7% 25.5% 45.9% 80.3% 75.6% 61.4% HH w/o children (0-17) 46.3% 21.3% 39.1% - - 64.8% HH with children (0-17) 59.0% 31.8% 51.0% 79.1% 73.2% 66.6% HH with elderly (65+) 48.9% 30.6% 40.4% 86.4% 76.7% 67.2% 0-1 assets 56.5% 24.2% 66.2% 70.3% 62.3% 71.7% 2 assets 52.6% 27.1% 46.4% 76.7% 70.5% 65.0% 3+ assets 51.6% 28.5% 32.9% 84.3% 79.5% 65.3% HH education - Primary or less 61.6% 24.4% 54.3% 69.8% 52.1% 77.0% HH education - Secondary 54.9% 30.4% 49.2% 79.5% 76.6% 67.2% HH education - Tertiary or more 51.0% 22.1% 27.3% 87.8% 84.0% 60.7% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEY The World Bank and UNDP conducted a multi-wave High-Frequency Phone Survey (HFPS) in 2021 to assess the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the welfare of Latin American and Caribbean households. The first wave was collected between May and July 2021, and the data is nationally representative for 24 countries: Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Lucia and Uruguay. The data for Brazil was collected between July 26 and October 1. The HFPS provides information on the welfare impacts that households experienced with respect to food insecurity, changes in employment, income changes, access to health and education services, and coping mechanisms. Key indicators on socioeconomic effects are available at the COVID-19 monitoring global dashboard, which provides 96 harmonized indicators across 50 countries in Latin America and the world. For further information, see World Bank and UNDP (2021). Produced by the World Bank Group and UNDP. Contacts for additional information: Roy Katayama, World Bank Group (rkatayama@worldbank.org) Denise Antonio, UNDP (Denise.antonio@undp.org; policyresponse.lac@undp.org ) CARIBBEAN REGIONAL RESILIENCE BUILDING FACILITY COVID-19 IN LAC SAINT LUCIA 2021 LAC HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEYS: Results Phase II, Wave 1 April 2022 Saint Lucia is one of the countries in the Caribbean most heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with cases and deaths being among the highest in the subregion as of February 2022. The economic consequences of the pandemic have also been dire for the island, which relies heavily on international tourism. In 2020, the contraction in real GDP of 20.4 percent was the second largest in Latin America and the Caribbean. The recovery, in turn, has been far from complete: GDP is estimated to have grown by 6.6 percent in 2021. These developments have had severe effects on the welfare of the population, some of which were still evident more than a year into the pandemic. By mid- 2021, about 1 in 5 workers had lost their pre-pandemic job, with nearly half of them leaving the labor force. People who had secondary education, women - especially those with children - and young adults (18-25 years old) were more likely to be affected by job losses. Among those who left the labor force, half of them were women, and most of them were low-skilled workers. Likely because of their higher participation in the heavily affected tourism sector, women were more vulnerable to employment shocks. Traditional gender roles, coupled with the need to dedicate more time to household duties, may further explain these uneven effects. The burden of childcare responsibilities intensified during the pandemic: 58.4 percent of women and 48.6 percent of men reported an increase in the time spent accompanying their children’s education. Movements out of employment were offset by a large share of previously inactive people who entered the labor force during the pandemic (44.3 percent). The majority of these entrants were women (76.0 percent), across all age ranges and education levels, and many of them had children. While 37.1 percent of the previously inactive who entered the labor force during the pandemic had not been able to secure a job, most of them were working, predominantly in informal employment (76.5 percent of entrants with a job). Similarly, jobs became more precarious for those who remained employed, which suggests a deterioration in job quality. More than 1 in every 10 pre-pandemic formal workers had transited into informality by mid-2021, particularly young workers and those aged 65+. The government provided emergency cash transfers to alleviate shocks to household income and by mid-2021, 22.5 percent of households reported having received emergency support. Nevertheless, the pandemic resulted in widespread income losses and food insecurity worsened considerably. More than half of households (55.1 percent) reported incomes below their pre-pandemic levels at the time of the survey. Approximately one third of households had run out of food in mid-2021, because of lack of money or other resources. The proportion of households who recall being in a similar situation before the pandemic is considerably lower (13.7 percent). At the time of the survey, in-person school attendance was widespread, which explains the high shares of school-age children attending school either in person or virtually (91.8 percent) and engaged in learning activities involving direct interaction with a teacher (90.5 percent). JOB LOSS (% OF PRE-PANDEMIC WORKERS) HOUSEHOLDS (%) WITH REDUCED INCOME 70% 40% 60% 30% 50% 40% 20% 30% 20% 10% 10% 0% 0% Age [65+] Age [18-24] Age [25-54] Age [55-64] Male Tertiary or more Secondary Female Female w/ children (0-12 yo) Overall Secondary HH with elderly 65+ 0-1 assets 3+ assets HH w/o children HH with children 0-17 2 assets Primary or less Tertiary and more Primary or less Female w/ children (0-5 yo) HH composition Level of education of the HH possession of assets HH Overall Gender Age group Education level % that were employed pre-pandemic and left labor force % that were employed pre-pandemic and now unemployed Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: INDIVIDUALS (18+ years old) Childcare Labor Health Finance responsibilities % of employed % of inactive “% of population who Distribution among groups population (pre- population (pre- % of population who % of formal workers is not planning to get pandemic) who lost pandemic) who spent more time % of population using (pre-pandemic) who vaccinated or unsure their pre-pandemic became active accompanying mobile wallets became informal (vaccination job (employed or children's education hesitancy) unemployed) Overall 19.7% 44.3% 13.7% 54.1% 43.0% 1.8% Females 21.7% 45.1% 11.1% 58.4% 42.0% 1.7% Males 18.0% 41.9% 16.1% 48.6% 44.1% 1.9% 18 to 25 years old 21.9% 69.5% 20.9% 50.1% 54.7% 2.3% 26 to 45 years old 18.6% 81.1% 11.7% 64.7% 46.0% 2.5% 46 to 64 years old 18.5% 28.2% 10.9% 45.5% 39.2% 1.1% 65 and older 32.2% 21.1% 50.0% 11.7% 23.2% 0.0% Primary or less 21.7% 29.9% 16.2% 28.2% 44.4% 0.8% Secondary 23.7% 55.0% 13.8% 55.2% 48.0% 1.5% Tertiary and more 12.5% 51.6% 12.2% 79.3% 34.7% 3.2% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: HOUSEHOLDS AND CHILDREN Income Food Insecurity Education (6-17 yo) Connectivity % HH that received % of children in % HHs that had Distribution among groups % HH that report a % of children in school Emergency school age who problems with reduction in total % HHs that ran out of age who attended Government interacted with internet service due income (current v. pre- food (last 30 days) school (in person or Transfers during the teacher (in-person or to poor access pandemic) virtually) pandemic online classes) quality/speed Overall 55.1% 22.5% 35.1% 91.8% 90.5% 64.4% HH w/o children (0-17) 52.0% 20.9% 32.3% - - 65.4% HH with children (0-17) 58.5% 24.3% 38.3% 91.8% 90.5% 63.4% HH with elderly (65+) 53.8% 20.0% 30.7% 91.1% 86.5% 70.4% 0-1 assets 57.5% 19.0% 52.7% 87.9% 87.9% 49.9% 2 assets 56.5% 22.6% 44.1% 89.0% 88.1% 62.6% 3+ assets 53.7% 23.4% 25.8% 93.7% 92.0% 67.0% HH education - Primary or less 56.0% 21.6% 43.0% 90.0% 88.3% 67.7% HH education - Secondary 61.8% 27.9% 41.9% 92.9% 92.4% 60.9% HH education - Tertiary or more 43.4% 16.2% 14.8% 100.0% 97.4% 66.0% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEY The World Bank and UNDP conducted a multi-wave High-Frequency Phone Survey (HFPS) in 2021 to assess the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the welfare of Latin American and Caribbean households. The first wave was collected between May and July 2021, and the data is nationally representative for 24 countries: Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Lucia and Uruguay. In Belize, Dominica and Saint Lucia, the HFPS was co-financed by the European Union, in the frame of the Caribbean Regional Resilience Building Facility, managed by the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR). The data for Brazil was collected between July 26 and October 1. The HFPS provides information on the welfare impacts that households experienced with respect to food insecurity, changes in employment, income changes, access to health and education services, and coping mechanisms. Key indicators on socioeconomic effects are available at the COVID-19 monitoring global dashboard, which provides 96 harmonized indicators across 50 countries in Latin America and the world. For further information, see World Bank and UNDP (2021). The sole responsibility of this publication lies with the author(s). Produced by the World Bank Group and UNDP. CARIBBEAN REGIONAL RESILIENCE BUILDING FACILITY Contacts for additional information: Anna Luisa Paffhausen, World Bank Group (apaffhausen@worldbank.org) Valerie Cliff, UNDP (Valerie.cliff@undp.org; policyresponse.lac@undp.org ) COVID-19 IN LAC MEXICO 2021 LAC HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEYS: Results Phase II, Wave 1 April 2022 After severe impacts from the initial COVID-19 outbreak, Mexico’s economy has started to recover. By February 2022, more than 5 million people had contracted the virus, according to official statistics. The country’s real GDP contracted by 8.3 percent in 2020, but has since recovered, with estimated GDP growth of 5.7 percent in 2021. However, recent findings from the High-Frequency Phone Surveys (HFPS) point to an uneven recovery with deep fractures along several household well-being dimensions. A year and a half into the pandemic, the labor market in Mexico had undergone considerable shifts. 18.9 percent of individuals employed before the pandemic had lost their job by mid-2021, more than half of them leaving the labor force altogether. Working conditions for the employed worsened, as 20.8 percent of formal workers transited into informality. Job loss affected female and older (65+) pre-pandemic workers more than the average worker. About three quarters of those who had left the labor force at the time of the survey were women. The new inactive are also predominantly low-skilled. Most striking, however, is the share of previously inactive people who entered the labor force during the pandemic (43.3 percent). 83.7 percent of them found a job, most of them in informality. These observed labor market dynamics reflect the insufficiency of fiscal aid to compensate for income losses during the pandemic. Only 5.0 percent of households reported benefiting from emergency government transfers, while 44.2 percent reported reductions in total income compared to before the pandemic. This drop was more frequent in rural areas, where more than half of households reported income reductions. Food insecurity continues to be a concern: the share of families that reported having run out of food 30 days before the survey rose to 19.3 percent, in contrast to 10.2 percent before the pandemic. These rates were more prevalent in rural areas (30.5 percent) and households with low asset ownership (41.3 percent). This situation has likely worsened with food price inflation in late 2021 and early 2022. Schools were closed for 17 months and 21.5 percent of school-age children were not engaged in virtual or in-person education by mid- 2021. This share was higher in rural and low-income households. Virtual attendance allowed more children to be engaged in school in 2021 than in 2020, but only 67.3 percent of children reported having a direct interaction with a teacher (online or in-person). School closures increased the burden of household responsibilities on adults, although disproportionately more for women: 37.8 percent of men and 53.5 percent of women reported an increase in the time spent supporting children’s education during the pandemic. Vaccination levels in Mexico are slightly behind regional progress. Yet the country’s vaccination hesitancy at the time of the survey was the lowest across LAC. Still, hesitancy rates were particularly high among the less educated population. JOB LOSS (% OF PRE-PANDEMIC WORKERS) HOUSEHOLDS (%) WITH REDUCED INCOME 60% 50% 50% 40% 40% 30% 30% 20% 20% 10% 10% 0% 0% Overall Urban HH with elderly 65+ 0-1 assets Rural HH with children 0-17 Secondary 3+ assets HH w/o children 2 assets Tertiary or more Primary or less Age [18-24] Age [25-54] Age [55-64] Age [65+] Male Urban Female Rural Secondary Female w/ children (0-12 yo) Tertiary and more Primary or less Female w/ children (0-5 yo) Area HH composition Level of education of HH possession of the HH assets Overall Area Gender Age group Education level % who were employed pre-pandemic and left labor force % who were employed pre-pandemic and now unemployed Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: INDIVIDUALS (18+ years old) Childcare Labor Health Finance responsibilities % of inactive % of employed % of population who Distribution among groups population (pre- % of population who population (pre- % of formal workers is not planning to get pandemic) who spent more time % of population using pandemic) who lost (pre-pandemic) who vaccinated or unsure became active accompanying mobile wallets their pre-pandemic became informal (vaccination (employed or children's education job hesitancy) unemployed) Overall 18.9% 43.3% 20.8% 46.4% 5.9% 28.1% Rural 23.4% 55.5% 31.4% 42.7% 9.6% 24.1% Urban 17.7% 39.9% 19.2% 47.6% 4.9% 29.2% Females 30.3% 37.7% 22.7% 53.5% 5.5% 23.8% Males 9.5% 55.8% 19.7% 37.8% 6.4% 32.8% 18 to 25 years old 20.3% 62.4% 27.5% 39.1% 4.5% 32.0% 26 to 45 years old 15.6% 57.5% 22.3% 53.1% 7.6% 30.1% 46 to 64 years old 19.0% 37.0% 14.4% 38.3% 5.4% 26.7% 65 and older 39.3% 13.3% 30.7% 25.1% 3.9% 18.0% Primary or less 28.5% 27.1% 15.7% 29.2% 8.4% 19.1% Secondary 19.0% 48.3% 24.5% 48.7% 5.7% 28.7% Tertiary and more 11.9% 49.9% 16.4% 54.1% 4.4% 34.1% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: HOUSEHOLDS AND CHILDREN Income Food Insecurity Education (6-17 yo) Connectivity % HH that received % of children in % HHs that had Distribution among groups % HH that report a % of children in school Emergency school age who problems with reduction in total % HHs that ran out of age who attended Government interacted with internet service due income (current v. pre- food (last 30 days) school (in person or Transfers during the teacher (in-person or to poor access quality pandemic) virtually) pandemic online classes) / speed Overall 44.2% 5.0% 19.3% 79.5% 67.5% 57.7% Rural 53.4% 6.0% 30.5% 73.8% 60.3% 68.5% Urban 41.8% 4.7% 16.4% 81.5% 70.0% 55.8% HH w/o children (0-17) 38.3% 4.2% 15.7% - - 56.7% HH with children (0-17) 50.5% 5.7% 23.1% 79.5% 67.5% 58.6% HH with elderly (65+) 41.4% 4.4% 17.2% 78.7% 70.1% 54.7% 0-1 assets 50.2% 4.7% 41.3% 66.6% 52.0% 56.2% 2 assets 45.1% 4.2% 17.7% 74.3% 63.4% 58.1% 3+ assets 40.2% 5.7% 8.8% 90.1% 79.0% 57.7% HH education - Primary or less 45.3% 3.4% 28.4% 66.8% 52.2% 45.5% HH education - Secondary 47.5% 6.5% 22.0% 81.1% 69.5% 58.8% HH education - Tertiary or more 38.5% 4.3% 6.6% 89.0% 79.5% 60.7% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEY The World Bank and UNDP conducted a multi-wave High-Frequency Phone Survey (HFPS) in 2021 to assess the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the welfare of Latin American and Caribbean households. The first wave was collected between May and July 2021, and the data is nationally representative for 24 countries: Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Lucia and Uruguay. The data for Brazil was collected between July 26 and October 1. The HFPS provides information on the welfare impacts that households experienced with respect to food insecurity, changes in employment, income changes, access to health and education services, and coping mechanisms. Key indicators on socioeconomic effects are available at the COVID-19 monitoring global dashboard, which provides 96 harmonized indicators across 50 countries in Latin America and the world. For further information, see World Bank and UNDP (2021). Produced by the World Bank Group and UNDP. Contacts for additional information: Gabriela Inchauste, World Bank Group (ginchauste@worldbank.org) Lorenzo Jimenez De Luis, UNDP (Lorenzo.jimenez.de.luis@undp.org; policyresponse.lac@undp.org ) COVID-19 IN LAC NICARAGUA 2021 LAC HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEYS: Results Phase II, Wave 1 April 2022 After a three-year recession prompted by sociopolitical turmoil and prolonged by the outbreak of COVID-19, Nicaragua’s economy started to rebound in the first half of 2021. GDP is estimated to have grown 5.5 percent during that year thanks to fiscal stimulus and the revitalization of private demand. However, new waves of contagion, combined with ongoing social unrest, may further delay a full recovery. The economic impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on the welfare of Nicaraguans continued to linger by mid-2021. According to the High- Frequency Phone Survey, 17.6 percent of formerly employed workers lost their pre-pandemic job, and 64.6 percent of them left the labor force altogether. Job losses were more frequent among the elderly (40.0 percent) and women (27.0 percent). Among the new inactive, 60.8 percent were women across all ages and education levels, with and without children under 18. Equally remarkable was the large share of previously inactive individuals who entered the labor force during the pandemic (47.9 percent), likely to avoid falling into poverty. About two-thirds were women across all age ranges and education levels. Because entrants into activity (and employment) compensated for job losses, the country experienced a slight increase, of 1.9 percentage points, in the employment-to-population ratio (18+) relative to pre-pandemic levels. The quality of employment was also affected. Around 23.9 percent of formally employed workers before the pandemic transitioned into an informal job by mid-2021, and, among the entrants who found employment, 88.7 percent held informal jobs. The dynamics observed in the labor market point at the insufficiency of emergency cash transfers to contain the fall in household income. Indeed, the mitigation response implemented by the government had a limited reach in comparison to the region, as only 3.7 percent of households reported having received emergency government transfers during the pandemic. As a result, 44.4 percent said that their income had yet to return to pre-pandemic levels. The primary sources of income that were affected were wage and family-business incomes. This aggravated food insecurity, defined as not having food at least once during the last month due to lack of money or other resources. By mid-2021, one in every four households (26.5 percent) experienced food insecurity, up by 7.9 percentage points from the level recalled before the pandemic (18.5 percent). Reports of food insecurity were more frequent among rural households and households with children or elders. Negative impacts on children’s education could debilitate household welfare in the long run. While the proportion of school-age children attending school in person or virtually remained relatively high (at 90.2 percent), around one in six children had not participated in schooling activities involving direct interaction with a teacher. JOB LOSS (% OF PRE-PANDEMIC WORKERS) HOUSEHOLDS (%) WITH REDUCED INCOME 48% 50% 47% 46% 40% 45% 44% 30% 43% 42% 20% 41% 10% 40% 39% 0% 38% Overall Urban HH with elderly 65+ 0-1 assets Rural HH with children 0-17 Secondary 3+ assets HH w/o children 2 assets Tertiary or more Primary or less Age [18-24] Age [25-54] Age [55-64] Age [65+] Male Urban Female Rural Secondary Female w/ children (0-12 yo) Tertiary and more Primary or less Female w/ children (0-5 yo) Area HH composition Level of education of HH possession of the HH assets Overall Area Gender Age group Education level % who were employed pre-pandemic and left labor force % who were employed pre-pandemic and now unemployed Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: INDIVIDUALS (18+ years old) Childcare Labor Health Finance responsibilities % of inactive % of employed % of population who Distribution among groups population (pre- % of population who population (pre- % of formal workers is not planning to get pandemic) who spent more time % of population using pandemic) who lost (pre-pandemic) who vaccinated or unsure became active accompanying mobile wallets their pre-pandemic became informal (vaccination (employed or children's education job hesitancy) unemployed) Overall 17.6% 47.9% 23.9% 24.1% 18.4% 22.1% Rural 17.2% 46.2% 24.8% 23.2% 18.5% 17.5% Urban 17.8% 48.6% 23.6% 24.5% 18.4% 24.3% Females 27.0% 40.1% 19.2% 24.8% 20.0% 20.8% Males 10.7% 68.3% 27.0% 23.2% 16.7% 23.4% 18 to 25 years old 21.7% 60.4% 29.5% 18.3% 21.3% 23.8% 26 to 45 years old 15.6% 54.4% 20.9% 28.3% 17.4% 24.0% 46 to 64 years old 15.8% 31.1% 26.6% 20.6% 21.0% 15.6% 65 and older 40.0% 36.3% 49.5% 9.1% 4.8% 28.6% Primary or less 21.1% 33.5% 35.8% 17.7% 18.4% 16.4% Secondary 16.3% 54.2% 29.2% 20.3% 19.3% 19.9% Tertiary and more 17.0% 56.7% 18.4% 37.0% 17.3% 29.2% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: HOUSEHOLDS AND CHILDREN Income Food Insecurity Education (6-17 yo) Connectivity % HH that received % of children in % HHs that had Distribution among groups % HH that report a % of children in school Emergency school age who problems with reduction in total % HHs that ran out of age who attended Government interacted with internet service due income (current v. pre- food (last 30 days) school (in person or Transfers during the teacher (in-person or to poor access quality pandemic) virtually) pandemic online classes) / speed Overall 44.4% 3.7% 26.5% 90.2% 84.9% 55.4% Rural 44.4% 6.3% 28.6% 85.4% 79.1% 59.2% Urban 44.4% 2.2% 25.2% 93.3% 88.7% 53.5% HH w/o children (0-17) 44.8% 2.4% 22.7% - - 48.9% HH with children (0-17) 44.3% 4.2% 27.8% 90.2% 84.9% 57.6% HH with elderly (65+) 43.7% 4.6% 30.4% 92.1% 89.7% 51.0% 0-1 assets 44.4% 4.5% 34.2% 86.9% 80.8% 57.6% 2 assets 47.2% 3.8% 22.4% 93.1% 89.6% 53.7% 3+ assets 41.2% 1.7% 11.0% 99.5% 95.3% 53.1% HH education - Primary or less 44.4% 4.5% 29.0% 87.8% 83.1% 58.1% HH education - Secondary 46.9% 4.0% 30.9% 91.3% 83.7% 57.0% HH education - Tertiary or more 41.5% 1.1% 13.6% 99.1% 96.0% 51.1% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEY The World Bank and UNDP conducted a multi-wave High-Frequency Phone Survey (HFPS) in 2021 to assess the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the welfare of Latin American and Caribbean households. The first wave was collected between May and July 2021, and the data is nationally representative for 24 countries: Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Lucia and Uruguay. The data for Brazil was collected between July 26 and October 1. The HFPS provides information on the welfare impacts that households experienced with respect to food insecurity, changes in employment, income changes, access to health and education services, and coping mechanisms. Key indicators on socioeconomic effects are available at the COVID-19 monitoring global dashboard, which provides 96 harmonized indicators across 50 countries in Latin America and the world. For further information, see World Bank and UNDP (2021). Produced by the World Bank Group and UNDP. Contacts for additional information: Alejandro De La Fuente, World Bank Group (adelafuente@worldbank.org) Policyresponse Lac, UNDP (policyresponse.lac@undp.org ) COVID-19 IN LAC PANAMA 2021 LAC HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEYS: Results Phase II, Wave 1 April 2022 With one of the highest per-capita infection rates in Latin America and the Caribbean, the COVID-19 crisis significantly disrupted Panama’s leading economic sectors: construction, logistics, retail, and tourism. These sectors drove both economic growth and job creation before the pandemic. After a sharp contraction in GDP of 17.9 percent in 2020, the economy started to recover in 2021, but significant challenges remain ahead. Labor markets continued to show signs of deterioration a year and a half into the pandemic. Over one in every three workers had lost their pre-pandemic jobs. Those with primary education, the elderly (65+), and women were the most affected. Moreover, 56.9 percent of those who lost their pre-pandemic jobs left the labor force altogether. The pandemic also deteriorated job quality. More than one out of five formal workers became informal. In addition, a large share of those previously inactive entered the labor force (51.5 percent), landing primarily in informal jobs or unemployment. Moreover, Panama’s emergency social assistance program (Panama Solidario) was insufficient to compensate for income losses. Even though nearly 70 percent of households reported receiving emergency transfers by mid-2021, household income remained below pre- pandemic levels for 58 percent of households. Unfortunately, income losses presented risks for food security: one-fourth of households reported running out of food. The pandemic also increased the risk of significant human capital losses and widening learning gaps across income profiles. For example, the gap in school attendance between children coming from high-educated and low-educated households was almost 20 percentage points, despite an overall attendance rate of 90 percent. In addition, limited access to a reliable internet connection difficulted virtual learning. Meanwhile, unequal intra-household arrangements resulted in 39.3 percent more women than men reporting an increase in the time spent supporting children’s education during the pandemic. Even so, 38.2 percent of men reporting an increased burden is unprecedented. As of March 2022, almost 7 out of 10 Panamanians are fully vaccinated. But addressing remaining vaccination hesitancy will be key. By mid-2021, 13.1 percent of the population were hesitant about getting vaccinated, with a slightly higher prevalence among the less educated (15.6 percent). JOB LOSS (% OF PRE-PANDEMIC WORKERS) HOUSEHOLDS (%) WITH REDUCED INCOME 70% 60% 60% 50% 50% 40% 40% 30% 30% 20% 20% 10% 10% 0% 0% Overall Urban HH with elderly 65+ 0-1 assets Rural HH with children 0-17 Secondary 3+ assets HH w/o children 2 assets Tertiary or more Primary or less Age [18-24] Age [25-54] Age [55-64] Age [65+] Male Urban Female Rural Secondary Female w/ children (0-12 yo) Tertiary and more Primary or less Female w/ children (0-5 yo) Area HH composition Level of education of HH possession of the HH assets Overall Area Gender Age group Education level % who were employed pre-pandemic and left labor force % who were employed pre-pandemic and now unemployed Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: INDIVIDUALS (18+ years old) Childcare Labor Health Finance responsibilities % of inactive % of employed % of population who Distribution among groups population (pre- % of population who population (pre- % of formal workers is not planning to get pandemic) who spent more time % of population using pandemic) who lost (pre-pandemic) who vaccinated or unsure became active accompanying mobile wallets their pre-pandemic became informal (vaccination (employed or children's education job hesitancy) unemployed) Overall 34.8% 51.5% 20.2% 45.5% 13.1% 13.5% Rural 39.9% 56.6% 27.0% 45.3% 14.7% 8.1% Urban 32.3% 48.9% 17.4% 45.7% 12.3% 16.2% Females 41.7% 43.7% 16.3% 53.2% 13.7% 12.6% Males 29.4% 66.2% 22.6% 38.2% 12.5% 14.5% 18 to 25 years old 46.3% 67.4% 16.6% 37.2% 13.8% 22.3% 26 to 45 years old 32.1% 54.4% 24.3% 53.2% 16.1% 14.9% 46 to 64 years old 31.9% 41.2% 17.6% 46.2% 11.5% 9.1% 65 and older 46.2% 38.9% 0.0% 8.5% 4.5% 4.6% Primary or less 53.7% 49.7% 19.3% 21.6% 15.6% 0.7% Secondary 35.3% 54.2% 27.1% 45.0% 14.3% 10.8% Tertiary and more 28.7% 48.4% 14.6% 55.7% 10.4% 21.8% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: HOUSEHOLDS AND CHILDREN Income Food Insecurity Education (6-17 yo) Connectivity % HH that received % of children in % HHs that had Distribution among groups % HH that report a % of children in school Emergency school age who problems with reduction in total % HHs that ran out of age who attended Government interacted with internet service due income (current v. pre- food (last 30 days) school (in person or Transfers during the teacher (in-person or to poor access quality pandemic) virtually) pandemic online classes) / speed Overall 58.0% 68.7% 27.0% 89.6% 81.2% 54.3% Rural 61.9% 69.6% 31.9% 88.6% 79.2% 54.2% Urban 56.0% 68.2% 24.5% 90.2% 82.5% 54.4% HH w/o children (0-17) 55.2% 62.5% 19.2% - - 50.7% HH with children (0-17) 60.0% 73.1% 32.7% 89.6% 81.2% 57.0% HH with elderly (65+) 50.9% 63.7% 23.6% 88.7% 77.4% 57.7% 0-1 assets 64.9% 73.5% 48.7% 75.0% 58.3% 56.2% 2 assets 59.1% 74.5% 33.7% 88.9% 82.4% 42.6% 3+ assets 54.7% 61.7% 13.8% 96.0% 89.6% 58.9% HH education - Primary or less 54.3% 72.9% 31.9% 75.9% 62.6% 46.4% HH education - Secondary 60.5% 73.9% 31.3% 90.8% 82.5% 52.0% HH education - Tertiary or more 56.3% 56.8% 15.9% 95.5% 90.3% 59.9% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEY The World Bank and UNDP conducted a multi-wave High-Frequency Phone Survey (HFPS) in 2021 to assess the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the welfare of Latin American and Caribbean households. The first wave was collected between May and July 2021, and the data is nationally representative for 24 countries: Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Lucia and Uruguay. The data for Brazil was collected between July 26 and October 1. The HFPS provides information on the welfare impacts that households experienced with respect to food insecurity, changes in employment, income changes, access to health and education services, and coping mechanisms. Key indicators on socioeconomic effects are available at the COVID-19 monitoring global dashboard, which provides 96 harmonized indicators across 50 countries in Latin America and the world. For further information, see World Bank and UNDP (2021). Produced by the World Bank Group and UNDP. Contacts for additional information: Javier Romero, World Bank Group (javierromero@worldbank.org) Maria del Carmen Sacasa, UNDP (Ma.carmen.sacasa@undp.org; policyresponse.lac@undp.org ) COVID-19 IN LAC PERU 2021 LAC HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEYS: Results Phase II, Wave 1 April 2022 Peru is one of the countries hardest hit by the COVID19 crisis. With over 200,000 deaths due to COVID-19, it has the most deaths per million globally. The strict lockdowns imposed by the government to contain the spread of the virus affected labor-intensive sectors the most. The latter, coupled with external demand and supply shocks, led to an economic contraction of over 11.1 percent of GDP in 2020, well above the median slowdown in the region. According to the National Household Survey, poverty had increased by 12 percentage points by the end of 2020. Recovery has been slow, and the government’s efforts to contain poverty and reactivate the economy - emergency cash transfers, debt payment facilities, and credit guarantees- have been insufficient to bring the country back to its pre- pandemic state. By mid-2021, more than one-quarter of workers reported having lost their pre-pandemic jobs, and 60.1 percent of them reported leaving the labor force altogether. Among the new inactive, 63.4 percent were women across all age ranges and education levels, more than half of whom did not have children under 18. Job quality also deteriorated, with almost one-third of the formally employed workers transiting to informal jobs. Also, most jobs landed by the previously unemployed (73.7 percent) were informal. Most extraordinary, however, was the large share of the previously inactive people who entered the labor force during the pandemic (57.4 percent). While 11.7 percent of them had not been able to secure a job, most of them found a job, although mainly in the informal sector. The new active workers represented 15.7 percent of the currently employed workers and 13.4 percent of the unemployed. Among them, 56.0 percent were women across all age ranges and education levels, more than half of whom had children under 18. The dynamics observed in the labor market pointed at the insufficiency of emergency cash transfers to contain the fall into poverty. More than half of the surveyed households had received government emergency aid by mid-2021. However, 64.3 percent of households reported their income remained below pre-pandemic levels. In addition, 35.8 percent of households reported running out of food in the month preceding the survey: a figure more than 15 percentage points above the pre-pandemic level. Food insecurity was more frequent among households in rural areas, with fewer assets, and less educated heads. Food insecurity and lack of access to education will have long-term impacts on the welfare of Peruvian households. Schools remained closed for almost two years in Peru, one of the most prolonged school closures in the world during the pandemic. By mid-2021, only 0.9 percent of the school-age children had gone back to in-person education. Moreover, access to quality remote learning has been limited due to the lack of access to an internet connection at home (only 49.1 percent of households reported having it) and by the poor quality of service. Indeed, 79.8 percent of households with an internet connection reported problems with their internet service. Improving connectivity may increase human capital accumulation and reduce learning gaps in the country as it transits out of the pandemic. JOB LOSS (% OF PRE-PANDEMIC WORKERS) HOUSEHOLDS (%) WITH REDUCED INCOME 80% 60% 70% 50% 60% 40% 50% 40% 30% 30% 20% 20% 10% 10% 0% 0% Overall Urban HH with elderly 65+ 0-1 assets Rural HH with children 0-17 Secondary 3+ assets HH w/o children 2 assets Tertiary or more Primary or less Age [18-24] Age [25-54] Age [55-64] Age [65+] Male Urban Female Rural Secondary Female w/ children (0-12 yo) Tertiary and more Primary or less Female w/ children (0-5 yo) Area HH composition Level of education of HH possession of the HH assets Overall Area Gender Age group Education level % who were employed pre-pandemic and left labor force % who were employed pre-pandemic and now unemployed Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: INDIVIDUALS (18+ years old) Childcare Labor Health Finance responsibilities % of inactive % of employed % of population who Distribution among groups population (pre- % of population who population (pre- % of formal workers is not planning to get pandemic) who spent more time % of population using pandemic) who lost (pre-pandemic) who vaccinated or unsure became active accompanying mobile wallets their pre-pandemic became informal (vaccination (employed or children's education job hesitancy) unemployed) Overall 28.5% 57.4% 27.8% 45.5% 11.2% 25.2% Rural 21.6% 76.7% 35.4% 44.0% 13.4% 16.0% Urban 31.7% 47.8% 25.7% 46.3% 10.1% 29.4% Females 39.5% 53.5% 17.9% 51.3% 12.2% 25.7% Males 18.2% 63.3% 34.8% 38.8% 10.1% 24.6% 18 to 25 years old 31.5% 66.4% 33.6% 48.2% 17.1% 46.4% 26 to 45 years old 27.0% 73.5% 29.7% 50.4% 10.7% 25.8% 46 to 64 years old 22.2% 43.2% 27.9% 36.9% 12.5% 17.3% 65 and older 48.8% 17.9% 12.6% 20.7% 0.0% 7.3% Primary or less 37.3% 63.1% 20.9% 34.6% 16.4% 7.9% Secondary 27.8% 53.9% 33.8% 44.1% 10.8% 20.9% Tertiary and more 22.8% 57.7% 26.0% 56.9% 7.7% 42.1% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: HOUSEHOLDS AND CHILDREN Income Food Insecurity Education (6-17 yo) Connectivity % HH that received % of children in % HHs that had Distribution among groups % HH that report a % of children in school Emergency school age who problems with reduction in total % HHs that ran out of age who attended Government interacted with internet service due income (current v. pre- food (last 30 days) school (in person or Transfers during the teacher (in-person or to poor access quality pandemic) virtually) pandemic online classes) / speed Overall 64.3% 54.8% 35.8% 95.2% 91.3% 79.8% Rural 67.6% 64.1% 49.9% 97.0% 89.2% 81.6% Urban 63.0% 51.0% 30.0% 94.4% 92.2% 79.2% HH w/o children (0-17) 59.1% 48.1% 27.1% - - 76.3% HH with children (0-17) 66.9% 58.1% 39.9% 95.2% 91.3% 81.5% HH with elderly (65+) 66.4% 55.8% 26.6% 93.8% 89.9% 79.3% 0-1 assets 71.7% 60.6% 55.5% 95.1% 88.0% 83.7% 2 assets 62.1% 61.0% 29.1% 93.4% 92.9% 75.5% 3+ assets 54.3% 41.8% 9.5% 96.4% 95.6% 78.1% HH education - Primary or less 67.7% 73.8% 50.6% 97.2% 89.1% 87.6% HH education - Secondary 65.4% 61.2% 41.1% 96.1% 91.5% 82.3% HH education - Tertiary or more 61.2% 40.5% 25.6% 95.1% 94.2% 75.8% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEY The World Bank and UNDP conducted a multi-wave High-Frequency Phone Survey (HFPS) in 2021 to assess the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the welfare of Latin American and Caribbean households. The first wave was collected between May and July 2021, and the data is nationally representative for 24 countries: Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Lucia and Uruguay. The data for Brazil was collected between July 26 and October 1. The HFPS provides information on the welfare impacts that households experienced with respect to food insecurity, changes in employment, income changes, access to health and education services, and coping mechanisms. Key indicators on socioeconomic effects are available at the COVID-19 monitoring global dashboard, which provides 96 harmonized indicators across 50 countries in Latin America and the world. For further information, see World Bank and UNDP (2021). Produced by the World Bank Group and UNDP. Contacts for additional information: Hernan Winkler, World Bank Group (Hwinkler@worldbank.org) Bettina Woll, UNDP (Bettina.woll@undp.org; policyresponse.lac@undp.org ) COVID-19 IN LAC PARAGUAY 2021 LAC HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEYS: Results Phase II, Wave 1 April 2022 While Paraguay ended in December 2020 with fewer cases per million than the average South American country (14,949 compared with 30,394), suggesting that the initial shock of the COVID-19 pandemic was relatively well contained, numbers quickly deteriorated in 2021. The year closed with 64,650 cases per million, still below the sub-regional average of 91,586 cases per million. Similarly, the country suffered a slight economic contraction of 0.6 percent in 2020 and outperformed the LAC region, which experienced a much larger average GDP fall of 6.7 percent. However, Paraguay’s economy grew at 4.3 percent in 2021, below the LAC average of 6.7 percent. These developments affected the labor markets heterogeneously. One-quarter of workers lost their pre-pandemic jobs, and 43.6 percent of them had moved to inactivity by June 2021. Among the new inactive, 50.6 percent were women from the richest households (reporting three or more assets). The slowdown in demand and the restrictions imposed by the government also pushed workers into informality: almost 16.8 percent of previously formal workers moved into informality. In addition, 60 percent of the previously inactive workers entered the labor force during the pandemic, and most of them landed in informal jobs or unemployment. The previously inactive represented 12.9 percent of the informal workforce and 10.5 percent of the unemployed in June 2021. The share of the previously inactive that entered the labor force is much higher for men (88.2 percent) than women (50.1 percent). Interestingly, most entrants into the labor force -men and women- were also from the richest households. The survey evidenced the pandemic adverse effects on households’ welfare. By June 2021, 61.7 percent of the households reported a reduction in their incomes compared to pre-pandemic levels. Income losses were more frequent among families with higher dependency rates, limited assets, and less educated heads. Also, the share of households experiencing food insecurity doubled compared with its pre- pandemic level (19.6 percent of households reported running out of food during the 30 days preceding the survey compared to 9.7 percent of households before the pandemic). A significant change during the pandemic was the transition from in-person to online education. Most schools, children, and households were not prepared for this change, which is expected to take a toll on the education quality with long-run effects on poverty, inequality, and economic growth. Although overall school attendance was significantly high (92.8 percent by June 2021), only a small fraction of children attended classes in person (13.5 percent). And among those attending, 82.0 percent were interacting with teachers, either in person or by online sessions. The lack of interaction and digital resources particularly affected children from vulnerable households (households with fewer assets and low-educated household heads). JOB LOSS (% OF PRE-PANDEMIC WORKERS) HOUSEHOLDS (%) WITH REDUCED INCOME 80% 40% 70% 60% 30% 50% 40% 20% 30% 10% 20% 10% 0% 0% Overall HH with elderly 65+ 0-1 assets Secondary 3+ assets HH w/o children HH with children 0-17 Tertiary or more 2 assets Primary or less Age [18-24] Age [25-54] Age [55-64] Age [65+] Male Female Female w/ children (0-12 yo) Secondary Primary or less Tertiary and more Female w/ children (0-5 yo) HH composition Level of education of the HH possession of assets HH Overall Gender Age group Education level % who were employed pre-pandemic and left labor force % who were employed pre-pandemic and now unemployed Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: INDIVIDUALS (18+ years old) Childcare Labor Health Finance responsibilities % of employed % of inactive % of population who Distribution among groups population (pre- population (pre- % of population who % of formal workers is not planning to get pandemic) who lost pandemic) who spent more time % of population using (pre-pandemic) who vaccinated or unsure their pre-pandemic became active accompanying mobile wallets became informal (vaccination job (employed or children's education hesitancy) unemployed) Overall 24.1% 60.0% 16.8% 51.1% 14.8% 60.9% Females 29.4% 50.1% 22.5% 56.6% 16.3% 57.0% Males 19.7% 88.2% 13.6% 41.9% 13.3% 64.8% 18 to 25 years old 34.0% 84.6% 8.9% 37.3% 18.5% 60.1% 26 to 45 years old 19.3% 64.0% 21.8% 56.1% 12.9% 69.7% 46 to 64 years old 29.9% 36.1% 10.2% 51.6% 14.2% 51.9% 65 and older 7.9% 0.0% 14.6% 38.9% 20.8% 40.5% Primary or less 34.6% 46.8% 12.3% 45.3% 18.0% 53.3% Secondary 28.2% 69.1% 19.4% 47.5% 13.1% 56.2% Tertiary and more 6.7% 69.3% 16.1% 64.8% 13.8% 78.2% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: HOUSEHOLDS AND CHILDREN Income Food Insecurity Education (6-17 yo) Connectivity % HH that received % of children in % HHs that had Distribution among groups % HH that report a % of children in school Emergency school age who problems with reduction in total % HHs that ran out of age who attended Government interacted with internet service due income (current v. pre- food (last 30 days) school (in person or Transfers during the teacher (in-person or to poor access quality pandemic) virtually) pandemic online classes) / speed Overall 61.7% 53.7% 19.6% 92.8% 82.0% 54.2% HH w/o children (0-17) 56.2% 48.4% 15.3% - - 52.2% HH with children (0-17) 65.1% 56.9% 22.2% 92.8% 82.0% 55.4% HH with elderly (65+) 68.4% 49.4% 16.6% 92.5% 85.1% 52.7% 0-1 assets 74.0% 49.1% 53.2% 92.7% 70.8% 82.5% 2 assets 72.7% 57.7% 28.4% 90.1% 78.1% 29.4% 3+ assets 56.0% 52.8% 11.8% 93.6% 84.2% 58.6% HH education - Primary or less 68.5% 61.2% 30.2% 88.9% 78.0% 46.7% HH education - Secondary 64.7% 54.6% 19.2% 93.7% 81.1% 57.8% HH education - Tertiary or more 47.0% 42.0% 4.4% 96.7% 87.8% 54.9% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEY The World Bank and UNDP conducted a multi-wave High-Frequency Phone Survey (HFPS) in 2021 to assess the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the welfare of Latin American and Caribbean households. The first wave was collected between May and July 2021, and the data is nationally representative for 24 countries: Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Lucia and Uruguay. The data for Brazil was collected between July 26 and October 1. The HFPS provides information on the welfare impacts that households experienced with respect to food insecurity, changes in employment, income changes, access to health and education services, and coping mechanisms. Key indicators on socioeconomic effects are available at the COVID-19 monitoring global dashboard, which provides 96 harmonized indicators across 50 countries in Latin America and the world. For further information, see World Bank and UNDP (2021). Produced by the World Bank Group and UNDP. Contacts for additional information: Gustavo Canavire, World Bank Group (gcanavire@worldbank.org) Silvia Morimoto, UNDP (Silvia.morimoto@undp.org; policyresponse.lac@undp.org ) COVID-19 IN LAC URUGUAY 2021 LAC HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEYS: Results Phase II, Wave 1 April 2022 While Uruguay had a relatively successful handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 in terms of contagion containment, GDP fell 5.9 percent that year. An exceptionally high number of COVID-19 cases per capita in early 2021 stifled expectations of a quick recovery, but an outstanding vaccination rollout and strong exports stimulated the rebound (GDP is expected to have grown around 4 percent in 2021). The labor market was significantly affected in 2021. By mid-2021, 22.5 percent of workers had lost their pre-pandemic jobs, and 10.7 percent of pre-pandemic formal workers had become informal. The shock affected different groups unequally. The younger (18-25) were more affected, as 32.1 percent lost their jobs, and 23.7 percent of pre-pandemic young formal workers transited to informality. Two-thirds of the young who lost their jobs are still in the labor market. In contrast, discouragement was more important among the older (46-64) population. Only a third of the recently unemployed were still looking for a job. Women were also particularly affected by the economic shock: 28.6 percent lost their jobs compared to 17.1 percent males. In addition, 16.8 percent of the women who held a job lost it and also left the labor market entirely (only 8.8 percent of men). Higher female transits into inactivity could be related to an uneven increase in childcare responsibilities. 58.4 percent of women saw their workload increased, compared to only 42.6 percent of men. Furthermore, the more educated workers were among the least impacted (8.9 percent lost their job), which could be related to being more likely to telework. This is consistent with the disproportionate share that reports an increase in time spent accompanying children’s education (72.2 percent, compared with 52.1 percent for the overall population). The negative impacts of the pandemic were partially cushioned by the social protection system and the containment measures introduced in early 2020 and further reinforced in 2021. Specifically, households holding under three assets, primary-educated, and rural showed the highest incidences of receiving emergency government transfers. Still, about one-third of inactive workers entered the labor force during the pandemic, vastly outweighing the share that left the labor force altogether, with primary-educated women of all ages prevalent among them. This entry suggests that transfers were insufficient to compensate for lost income. Consistent with this finding, food insecurity was especially relevant for the least educated households (21.2 percent ran out of food in the previous 30 days), rural (20.5 percent), and those holding under 2 assets (44.1 percent). Most kids in school age (91.5 percent) were attending school in mid-2021, either in person or virtually. Although 81.8 percent interacted with teachers (in person or online), only 27.4 percent were attending in person. The reported problems with internet services by 43.6 percent of households, and the lowest rates coming from 1-asset households (36.4 percent) suggests that variations in reporting across groups are probably affected by different expectations of internet quality. JOB LOSS (% OF PRE-PANDEMIC WORKERS) HOUSEHOLDS (%) WITH REDUCED INCOME 60% 40% 50% 30% 40% 30% 20% 20% 10% 10% 0% 0% Overall Urban HH with elderly 65+ 0-1 assets Rural HH with children 0-17 Secondary 3+ assets HH w/o children 2 assets Tertiary or more Primary or less Age [18-24] Age [25-54] Age [55-64] Age [65+] Male Urban Female Rural Secondary Female w/ children (0-12 yo) Tertiary and more Primary or less Female w/ children (0-5 yo) Area HH composition Level of education of HH possession of the HH assets Overall Area Gender Age group Education level % who were employed pre-pandemic and left labor force % who were employed pre-pandemic and now unemployed Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: INDIVIDUALS (18+ years old) Childcare Labor Health Finance responsibilities % of inactive % of employed % of population who Distribution among groups population (pre- % of population who population (pre- % of formal workers is not planning to get pandemic) who spent more time % of population using pandemic) who lost (pre-pandemic) who vaccinated or unsure became active accompanying mobile wallets their pre-pandemic became informal (vaccination (employed or children's education job hesitancy) unemployed) Overall 22.5% 30.3% 10.7% 52.1% 8.5% 15.2% Rural 20.5% 18.7% 5.7% 46.9% 4.1% 14.3% Urban 22.8% 31.7% 11.3% 52.7% 9.0% 15.3% Females 28.6% 30.7% 10.3% 58.4% 8.4% 15.5% Males 17.1% 29.5% 11.1% 42.6% 8.5% 14.9% 18 to 25 years old 32.1% 52.0% 23.7% 46.2% 11.8% 28.4% 26 to 45 years old 17.3% 68.6% 9.6% 58.9% 8.6% 17.7% 46 to 64 years old 23.1% 20.1% 10.4% 47.0% 6.6% 10.0% 65 and older 33.9% 8.9% 0.0% 0.0% 8.4% 6.0% Primary or less 25.3% 19.9% 15.2% 37.2% 8.2% 7.4% Secondary 27.0% 32.6% 11.3% 52.3% 9.5% 17.7% Tertiary and more 8.9% 40.2% 6.6% 72.2% 6.2% 16.7% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. KEY INDICATORS: HOUSEHOLDS AND CHILDREN Income Food Insecurity Education (6-17 yo) Connectivity % HH that received % of children in % HHs that had Distribution among groups % HH that report a % of children in school Emergency school age who problems with reduction in total % HHs that ran out of age who attended Government interacted with internet service due income (current v. pre- food (last 30 days) school (in person or Transfers during the teacher (in-person or to poor access quality pandemic) virtually) pandemic online classes) / speed Overall 43.4% 23.4% 16.5% 91.5% 81.8% 43.6% Rural 31.9% 31.0% 20.5% 91.2% 80.8% 42.0% Urban 44.9% 22.5% 16.0% 91.5% 81.9% 43.8% HH w/o children (0-17) 39.8% 21.2% 12.5% - - 40.6% HH with children (0-17) 48.0% 26.1% 21.5% 91.5% 81.8% 47.3% HH with elderly (65+) 41.0% 19.0% 5.5% 92.3% 77.0% 37.1% 0-1 assets 41.3% 44.7% 44.1% 100.0% 64.5% 36.4% 2 assets 48.0% 31.9% 26.2% 70.6% 61.9% 36.8% 3+ assets 42.3% 18.3% 10.2% 94.4% 85.8% 46.3% HH education - Primary or less 39.5% 29.7% 21.2% 80.0% 70.5% 41.6% HH education - Secondary 47.0% 25.6% 16.6% 95.2% 84.6% 45.0% HH education - Tertiary or more 42.4% 7.7% 8.9% 97.1% 90.5% 41.1% Source: World Bank and UNDP LAC High Frequency Phone Surveys, Phase II, Wave 1. HIGH FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEY The World Bank and UNDP conducted a multi-wave High-Frequency Phone Survey (HFPS) in 2021 to assess the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the welfare of Latin American and Caribbean households. The first wave was collected between May and July 2021, and the data is nationally representative for 24 countries: Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Lucia and Uruguay. The data for Brazil was collected between July 26 and October 1. The HFPS provides information on the welfare impacts that households experienced with respect to food insecurity, changes in employment, income changes, access to health and education services, and coping mechanisms. Key indicators on socioeconomic effects are available at the COVID-19 monitoring global dashboard, which provides 96 harmonized indicators across 50 countries in Latin America and the world. For further information, see World Bank and UNDP (2021). Produced by the World Bank Group and UNDP. Contacts for additional information: Lourdes Rodriguez Chamussy, World Bank Group (lchamussy@worldbank.org) Stefan Liller, UNDP (Stefan.liller@undp.org; policyresponse.lac@undp.org )