Miscellaneous Knowledge Notes
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Publication
Public Services and COVID-19 - Reflections from the Pacific: Sustainable Wage Bills
(Washington, DC, 2022-12)The purpose of this note is to identify good practice in public sector management drawn from Pacific Island public service experiences of navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. These experiences were brought together through a World Bank engagement with Pacific Island countries in 2021 and 2022. The engagement identified five core aspects of Pacific Island public service management in response to COVID-19: trust, preparation, adaptable system settings, adaptable operating models, and sustainable wage bills. This first note in the series of five focuses on the importance of trust. The primary audience is public service leaders in Pacific Islands. The note will also be of interest to anyone working on designing and leading public sector management systems through rapid change, uncertainty and crises. -
Publication
The Road Not Taken?: Responding to the Energy Price Shock in East Asia
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-11-17)Several countries in East Asia have increased fossil fuel subsidies to keep consumer prices lower than currently high international prices. These subsidies are discouraging the shift in consumption away from fossil fuels, while high prices are encouraging investment in new fossil fuel infrastructure. Providing income transfers instead of price subsidies would encourage consumption of cleaner alternatives, while softening the welfare loss. And subsidizing investment in renewables would avert the risk of being locked in to fossil fuels. The total cost need not be higher than that of fossil fuel subsidies. -
Publication
Gender and Aging in the Bangkok Metropolitan Area
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022)The purpose of this study is to assess the differences between older men and women (aged sixty and above) residing in the Bangkok Metropolitan Area in order to better understand gender disparities and inform policies and programs for the aged. An analysis of the demographic attributes of older persons in the Bangkok Metropolitan Area (BMA) revealed that over 50 percent of the older population are "young-old" (between 60-69 years old), while approximately 12 percent are "oldest-old" (80 years old or more). There is a higher percentage of older women in the oldest-old group, likely due to the fact that women have a longer lifespan than men. This imbalance is a cause for concern as older women have a higher probability of being dependent, both financially and health-wise. -
Publication
The Role of Existing Social Protection Programs in Alleviating Poverty Caused by Large-Scale Negative Shocks
(World Bank, Malaysia, 2021-09-02)The deep global recession induced by Covid-19 (coronavirus) is putting at risk the gains in poverty reduction made over the past three decades. The ability of existing social protection programs to prevent a permanent increase in poverty is thus of obvious importance. Yet, research on their performance during and after large aggregate shocks is largely missing. This Brief provides evidence by examining the performance of cash transfer programs in Indonesia and the Philippines following two recent natural disasters. One of them, Typhoon Yolanda, is an extreme weather event of the kind expected to become more common as global climate change intensifies. The results presented also contribute to the broader discussion on adaption to climate change and the need to provide adequate protection mechanisms to affected populations. -
Publication
Does Elderly Employment Reduce Job Opportunities for Youth?
(World Bank, Malaysia, 2021-08-09)The aging of populations around the world and the associated fall in the working age population are expected to adversely affect countries’ GDP growth in coming decades. These demographic shifts will also place fiscal pressure on governments, given the need either to finance pension systems or to support the most vulnerable in retirement. Extending working lives is imperative but often politically challenging, due to the widespread belief that extending employment for older workers will limit employment opportunities for youth. Global empirical evidence summarized in this brief, as well as original analysis, does not support this belief, and in fact suggests that elderly employment has positive effects on youth employment, on the well-being of older workers, and on economies and societies. There is much to gain in creating a supportive regulatory environment to harness the economic potential of older workers by eliminating age-biased hiring practices, allowing for flexible working conditions, and providing equal opportunities for upskilling and reskilling. -
Publication
Impacts of COVID-19 on Firms in Malaysia: Results from the 3rd Round of COVID-19 Business Pulse Survey
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-07)The COVID-19 Business Pulse Survey (BPS) is a rapid survey designed to measure the various channels of impact of COVID-19 on firms, firm adjustment strategies, and public policy responses. The World Bank, in collaboration with a private survey company, conducted the 3rd round of survey in July 2021, following the 1st round in October 2020 and 2nd round of the Malaysia BPS in Mid-January to February 2021. Firms were sampled randomly from an online business panel database, which consists of 100,000+ companies in all sectors and sizes, across Peninsular and East Malaysia. A minimum sample size was obtained for sectors that are important to Malaysia’s economy and are sensitive to the COVID-19 crisis (export-oriented activities: electronics, automotive, tourism related activities) while preserving the sectoral shares in the sampling frame. The survey was conducted online and yielded 1,500 responses from respondents in senior management positions at their company (i.e. owners, C-suite or Director level). -
Publication
Impacts of COVID-19 on Firms in Malaysia: Results from the 2nd Round of COVID-19 Business Pulse Survey
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-06-24)The re-imposition of the Conditional Movement Control Order during mid-October 2020 and the upgrade to a stricter lockdown to Movement Control Order in January 2021 has substantially weakened the recovery momentum highlighted in Round 1 of Business Pulse Survey (early October 2020). To adapt to the latest lockdown, the majority of firms responded by remaining partially open in operations. Employment adjustments such as reducing work hours remain the most common method by firms. Supply chain disruptions remain a major problem in the market. Adoption of digital technologies remains the most popular choice for adjustment by firms, with sales and marketing functions topping the list of digital adoption. -
Publication
Monitoring Impacts on Households in Lao PDR, Report No. 3, April-May 2021: Results Snapshot from a Rapid Monitoring Phone Survey (Round 3)
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-06)As infections spiked across Southeast Asia, the number of confirmed cases in Lao PDR surged from fewer than 50 cases in early April to over 6,000 cases in August 2021. The government of Lao PDR announced a 14-day lockdown on April 22, 2021, which has since been extended several times. International borders remain closed. The measures have caused disruption to businesses and a reduction in working hours and labor earnings. The second Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has setback economic recovery and much uncertainty remains. To monitor the social and economic impacts of the pandemic, the World Bank is conducting a series of Coronavirus (COVID-19) rapid monitoring phone surveys of households in Lao PDR. This monitoring data helps provide insights Into t e effects of the pandemic on household well-being. The third-round survey was conducted from April 26 to May 30, 2021 during a second lockdown. This note provides a snapshot of results from the third-round survey. -
Publication
Monitoring COVID-19 Impacts on Households in Lao PDR, Report No. 2: Results Snapshot from a Rapid Monitoring Phone Survey (Round 2)
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-05)The first-round survey was conducted from June 20 to July 16, 2020, when Lao PDR had just exited the nationwide lockdown. The second-round survey was conducted from February 26 to March 24, 2021, one year into the pandemic. This note provides a snapshot of results from the second-round survey. More survey results on public service delivery and citizen’s expectations from the government in response to COVID-19 are available in a separate note. -
Publication
The Spread of COVID-19 and Policy Responses
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-01-07)Since early 2020, the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic has spread to most countries and territories around the world. For many countries, the second wave of infections is turning out to be more serious than the first. Notwithstanding the global spread of the virus, public policy responses have varied across countries and regions. This brief analyzes the spread of COVID-19 and the effectiveness of policy efforts to contain the disease across a large number of countries. The findings suggest that public health measures - especially testing - and economic support policies are associated with effective containment of the disease, and thus are supporting fundamental prerequisites for a resumption of normalcy. This brief examines the evolution of COVID-19 and public policy responses across country groups around the world; presents an econometric analysis of the relationship between the spread of infections and the policy responses; and concludes with main policy implications.