Person:
Wheeler, Collette

Profile Picture
Author Name Variants
Fields of Specialization
Degrees
ORCID
Externally Hosted Work
Contact Information
Last updated: April 16, 2024
Biography
Collette Mari Wheeler is a Senior Economist in the World Bank’s Prospects Group. She is one of the lead authors of the corporate flagship Global Economic Prospects report, which presents the World Bank’s view on the global economy. She covers Europe and Central Asia, where she prepares and contributes to several World Bank regional and country reports. She also coordinates the World Bank’s Global Monthly newsletter, which monitors major macroeconomic, financial, and commodity market developments, and routinely prepares briefings on the global economy for senior management. Prior to joining the World Bank, Ms. Wheeler worked for an economics consulting firm. She holds an MA in economic development and a BA in economics and philosophy from Vanderbilt University.

Filters

2020 - 202522000 - 20191
Reset filters

Settings

Statistics
Citations

Publication Search Results

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • Thumbnail Image
    Publication
    The Great Reversal: Prospects, Risks, and Policies in International Development Association (IDA) Countries
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-04-15) Chrimes, Tommy; Gootjes, Bram; Kose, M. Ayhan; Wheeler, Collette
    The 75 economies eligible for low-interest loans and grants from the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) made notable progress against some important development objectives over the first two decades of this century. Despite this, on the eve of the COVID-19 pandemic, significant development gaps persisted, convergence of IDA country incomes with those of advanced economies was slowing, and some vulnerabilities were rising. The shock of the pandemic and subsequent overlapping crises has exacerbated the challenges facing these economies and led to a reversal in development: over 2020-24, per capita incomes in half of IDA countries—the largest share since the start of this century—have been growing more slowly than those of wealthy economies. One out of three IDA countries is poorer than it was on the eve of the pandemic. Poverty remains stubbornly high, hunger has surged, and amid fiscal constraints and rising investment needs, the development outlook could take an even bleaker turn—especially if weak growth prospects persist. IDA countries have several important demographic and resource advantages that could—if leveraged effectively—help close development gaps. Reaping the benefits of their advantages and meeting their investment needs will require them to undertake comprehensive policy measures to bolster fiscal and monetary frameworks, enhance human capital development, and improve the quality of institutions. These policies should be complemented with significant and consistent international financial support as well as strong cooperation on global policy issues.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Publication
    The Past and Future of Regional Potential Growth: Hopes, Fears, and Realities
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2023-03) Kasyanenko, Sergiy; Kenworthy, Philip; Kilic Celik, Sinem; Ruch, Franz Ulrich; Vashakmadze, Ekaterine; Wheeler, Collette
    Potential growth slowed in most emerging market and developing economy (EMDE) regions in the past decade. The steepest slowdown occurred in the Middle East and North Africa (MNA), followed by East Asia and the Pacific (EAP), although potential growth in EAP remained one of the two highest among EMDE regions, the other being South Asia (SAR), where potential growth remained broadly unchanged. Projections of the fundamental drivers of growth suggest that, without reforms, potential growth in EMDEs will continue to weaken over the remainder of this decade. The slowdown will be most pronounced in EAP and Europe and Central Asia because of slowing labor force growth and weak investment, and least pronounced in Sub-Saharan Africa where the multiple adverse shocks over the past decade are assumed to dissipate going forward. Potential growth in Latin America and the Caribbean, MNA, and SAR is expected to be broadly steady as slowing population growth is offset by strengthening productivity. The projected declines in potential growth are not inevitable. Many EMDEs could lift potential growth by implementing reforms, with policy priorities varying across regions.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Publication
    Jobs in Iraq: A Primer on Job Creation in the Short-Term
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2019-02-19) Bandiera, Luca; Chandra, Vandana; Fosque, Jasmine; von der Goltz, Jan; Peterburs, Teresa Maria; Piffaretti, Nadia; Saba, Joseph; Wheeler, Collette
    Iraq needs a strategy to make rapid progress in tackling its profound jobs challenges. Iraq is facing a jobs crisis of unprecedented proportions. It could foment a resurgence in violence unless the Government of Iraq makes credible and swift progress in job creation and reconstruction. To shape a longer-term vision, Iraq can look beyond its recent history of conflict, and to its past as a diversified economy & home of an educated workforce. However, in the short-term, neither private/ public sector hiring can create jobs at the desired scale without significant new policy action. The first-best solution for large-scale private sector job creation hinges on structural reforms that must begin now, but are achievable only in the medium to longer term. This paper provides a primer on options to deliver large-scale job creation in the short term, based on investments in construction, agriculture and agribusiness, small & medium enterprises, and vocational skills. Its aim is to outline workable steps for progress in a jobs crisis in a post-conflict situation. Because these steps focus on rapid impact at scale, rather than structural reform, they are less-than-ideal or second-best. A similar logic applies to financing options. Financing needs for jobs are large, and while business climate reforms are under way, first-best private investment in jobs will remain limited. Yet, the recent oil price hike offers the Government of Iraq a uniquely timely opportunity to make an investment in jobs.