Social Protection and Jobs Discussion Papers
186 items available
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Social Protection & Jobs Discussion Papers (formerly Social Protection & Labor Discussion Papers) are published to communicate the results of the World Bank’s work to the development community with the least possible delay. The typescript manuscript of this paper therefore has not been prepared in accordance with the procedures appropriate to formally edited texts.
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Publication
Affordable Childcare: A Needs Assessment of Low-income Mothers and Childcare Providers in Urban Bangladesh
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2022-11)Investments in childcare can generate immense economic and social benefits through increased female labor force participation and improved child development outcomes. However, high quality childcare options in Bangladesh are limited and available options are unaffordable for the urban poor. This paper examines the needs, preferences, and practices pertaining to childcare among parents and care providers for low-income households in urban Bangladesh. On the demand side, this paper finds that rapid urbanization along with a decrease in multigenerational households are increasing the demand for childcare services. Perceptions of child safety and the potential for child development are the two main factors driving the choice of care provider. However, knowledge of childcare best practices is limited among the urban poor, resulting in risky childcare practices at home. On the supply side, there is a severe gap in care provision, limiting access for the urban poor. The lack of sustainable financing is a major challenge for affordable care provision in Bangladesh. The absence of a regulatory framework and minimum standards for childcare has led to significant variations in the quality of care. -
Publication
Guiding Social Protection Targeting Through Satellite Data in São Tomé and Príncipe
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-10)Social safety net programs focus on a subset of the population, usually the poorest and most vulnerable. However, in most developing countries there is no administrative data on relative wealth of the population to support the selection process of the potential beneficiaries of the social safety net programs. Hence, selection into programs is often multi-methodological approached and starts with geographical targeting for the selection of program implementation areas. To facilitate this stage of the targeting process in São Tomé and Príncipe, this working paper develops High Resolution Satellite Imagery (HRSI) poverty maps, providing both estimates of poverty incidence and program eligibility at a highly detailed resolution (110 m x 110 m). Furthermore, the analysis combines poverty incidence and population density to enable the geographical targeting process. This working paper shows that HRSI poverty maps can be used as key operational tools to facilitate the decision-making process of the geographical targeting and efficiently identify entry points for rapidly expanding social safety net programs. Unlike HRSI poverty maps based on census data, poverty maps based on satellite data and machine learning can be updated frequently at low cost supporting more adaptive social protection programs. -
Publication
Digitizing Cash Transfers to Remote Rural Populations: Challenges and Solutions from the Experience of Zambia
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-10)There is currently a major focus on digitization within African countries, with the interest of, on the one hand, increasing efficiency and lowering the cost-of-service delivery, and on the other hand, increasing financial inclusion for excluded parts of the population. Zambia provides an important case study of digitization of social protection transfers. Whilst Zambia is sparsely populated with remote rural populations often living up to 100 km from the nearest town, making beneficiaries hard to reach with digital services, the country has successfully demonstrated that cash transfers can be digitized for remote rural populations to varying extents, tailored to their particular context. This Discussion Note presents challenges faced and solutions found in digitizing cash transfer payments in Zambia, which may be of interest to other countries embarking on similar endeavors. -
Publication
Voluntary Savings Schemes to Protect Informal Workers in Jordan
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-04)This paper proposes a framework of voluntary savings schemes (VSS) in Jordan that can complement the current formal sector arrangements to better protect informal workers against economic shocks, unemployment, old age, or disability. As benefits of traditional mandatory pension systems worldwide have been cut substantially since the 1990s, voluntary defined contribution schemes are increasingly trying to fill the gap. In many countries, including in low-income countries, special voluntary savings schemes have been introduced to protect informal workers. Blending the knowledge from best practices internationally with the cluster methodology developed specifically for Jordan, the paper provides an overview of the current system of social security in Jordan and presents policy options to lower informality, extend social protection coverage, and provide more adequate protection to workers. -
Publication
Enhancing Workers’ Protection in Jordan
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-04)This paper exploits a rich database to provide comprehensive profiling of informality in Jordan, including who informal workers are, their characteristics, and where they work, as well as providing policy recommendations to address informality. The structural framework developed through the comprehensive profiling is followed by an analysis of why workers are informal, using inferential multivariate analysis. Statistical techniques (that is, cluster analysis) are used to group workers by similar characteristics (including education, gender, income, and form of employment) to allow policy makers to pinpoint specific policy tools that can target each group. The paper offers long term policy solutions to address informality, including fostering competition to boost productivity and providing a level playing field. It also proposes short, and medium-term policy options to protect workers against shocks until more productive jobs are created, for instance through the provision of short-term benefits through defined contribution schemes. Heterogeneity is addressed by tailoring policy instruments to clusters of workers. -
Publication
Tracking Global Social Protection Responses to Price Shocks: Living Paper
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-04)This note provides an update of social protection responses to the food, fuel, fertilizer, and other price shocks sparked or accelerated by the Ukraine war. The vast majority of measures were introduced in early 2022 (February-April), although some specific interventions to mitigate prices were included in late 2021. This initiative complements other two ongoing thematic trackers of country-level action on how social protection is being leveraged in crisis situations – one on Covid-19 responses (16 versions) and another one focused on displacement as a result of the Ukraine war (3 versions). Data is preliminary and meant to elicit comments, additions, integration, and revisions to be incorporated in next living paper versions. Specifically, the note tracks four broad measures, namely social assistance, social insurance, labor markets, and subsidies. The latter includes five subcategories, i.e., fuel, food, fertilizers and agriculture inputs, and fees subsidies. Data and analysis are preliminary, and more information on specific measures will be provided as data becomes available. -
Publication
Cash in the City: The Case of Port-au-Prince
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-03)Following the 2010 devastating earthquake and subsequent cholera epidemic, Port-au-Prince’s residents have been increasingly affected by food insecurity, socio-economic unrest including periods of complete lock-down, and gang violence. In light of the insecurity which limits the possibilities to collect the necessary information to target the vulnerable residents of Port-au-Prince, this paper aims at providing meaningful evidence to inform the remote targeting and delivery of a potential social assistance program. Putting together household and geospatial data, we compute a composite vulnerability indicator for the metropolitan area, offering a first snapshot of inequality and vulnerability within the city, and discuss the results’ implications for social protection programming. -
Publication
Humanitarian and Social Protection Linkages with Examples from South Asia
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022)Traditionally social protection (SP) and humanitarian programs were quite distinct in their objectives, scope, and operations, but over time those distinctions have diminished and with that the gains from better integration. Humanitarian programs are committed to more involvement of national actors, more use of cash, and greater popular participation all matters that are important for SP actors. On the other side, SP has gradually shifted into shock-responsive or adaptive SP that explicitly targets not only the poor but also those affected by shocks. Beyond presenting the divide and overlap of concepts, principles, and commitments from the SP and humanitarian realms, this paper attempts at unbundling a framework for humanitarian and SP integration across the delivery chain (based on the paper by Seyfert et al. 2019). Global experiences across the integration spectrum, as well as the practical application of the framework in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, are exemplified. The analysis shows how programs apply a ‘mix and match’ approach building on factors such as political will, technical capacity, and alignment of objectives across implementing agencies, donors, and the government. The paper identifies constraints and opportunities for better integration and proposes a set of actions to enhance benefits for affected populations. -
Publication
From Protracted Humanitarian Relief to State-led Social Safety Net System: Somalia Baxnaano Program
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-01)In 2019, with support from the International Development Association (IDA), the Federal Government of Somalia established its first national safety net program, the Baxnaano Program. Despite institutional challenges, political and economic fragility, the Program is delivering promising results. This paper discusses the design and implementation experience of the Baxnaano Program to (i) understand the opportunities and challenges leading to the establishment of a national safety net program in a context of high fragility, insecurity, and protracted humanitarian relief interventions; (ii) identify if and how the Program is supporting the vision to transition from protracted humanitarian response to longer-term safety net system; and iii) examines if and how the Program is supporting state-building. -
Publication
Tracing Labor Market Outcomes of Technical and Vocational Training Graduates in Saudi Arabia: A Study on Graduates from the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-01)This paper exploits a rich dataset from various administrative sources to study short- and medium-term labor market outcomes of vocational education and training graduates in Saudi Arabia. It examines five cohorts of graduates from institutes operated by the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation who are formally employed in the private sector. The outcome measures for the study are based on monthly earnings data from the private sector social insurance records covering up to five years after graduation for the first cohort. The analysis finds positive returns to technical and vocational education are sustained over time. However, program orientation and economic conditions at the time of graduation appears to impact wages. Furthermore, vocational education and training in Saudi Arabia is associated with higher job mobility after graduation from the program. Students’ mobility premium is enhanced by completion of the program, suggesting improved skills signaling and utilization contributing to higher returns to vocational education and training. The analysis identifies several challenges and opportunities to further improve outcomes of graduates, such as reducing the gender gap in labor market outcomes of female graduates and reducing the high incidence of vertical mismatch among graduates’ field-of-study selection and the occupations group in which they are employed.