Publication:
How Did Urban Household Enterprises in Sub-Saharan Africa Fare during COVID-19 ?: Evidence from High-Frequency Phone Surveys

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dc.contributor.authorCunningham, Wendy
dc.contributor.authorTchuisseu, Feraud
dc.contributor.authorViollaz, Mariana
dc.contributor.authorEdochie, Ifeany
dc.contributor.authorNewhouse, David
dc.contributor.authorRicaldi, Federica
dc.date.accessioned2023-03-15T19:47:36Z
dc.date.available2023-03-15T19:47:36Z
dc.date.issued2023-03
dc.description.abstractWhile the impact of COVID-19 on Sub-Saharan African labor markets is well documented, there is suggestive evidence that urban households may have fared particularly poorly. This paper uses data from high-frequency phone surveys in 27 Sub-Saharan African countries to investigate which kinds of urban household enterprises were most affected, what coping strategies were utilized, and heterogeneity by sociodemographic characteristics in the short and medium run. Using linear probability models, the paper finds that households that relied on income from non-farm enterprises were hit particularly hard during the early stage of the crisis, with 20-26 percent reporting income declines, and women experiencing even greater losses. Few coping strategies were utilized in the short run to counterbalance the loss of enterprise income. As the crisis progressed, wage employment recovered more quickly than self-employment, with faster gains for non-farm household enterprises, less poor households, and those headed by males and adults. Women, adults, and non-poor self-employed household heads were more successful at leveraging external sources of support early in the pandemic, but these supports largely dropped off by August 2020. These results demonstrate the vulnerability of non-farm household enterprises in urban Sub-Saharan Africa to the COVID-19 shock and highlight the need to expand publicly and privately financed coping mechanisms, particularly for women, youth, and poor household heads who are self-employed.en
dc.identifierhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099348503132322233/IDU05bdb518202c21042910b4a901cbe0cc9b544
dc.identifier.doi10.1596/1813-9450-10359
dc.identifier.urihttps://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/39540
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherWorld Bank, Washington, DC
dc.relation.ispartofseriesPolicy Research Working Papers; 10360
dc.rightsCC BY 3.0 IGO
dc.rights.holderWorld Bank
dc.subjectINFORMAL ENTERPRISE
dc.subjectINCOME SHOCK
dc.subjectINCOME LOSS
dc.subjectURBAN HOUSEHOLD ENTERPRISE
dc.subjectCOVID-19 PANDEMIC
dc.subjectINFORMALITY
dc.titleHow Did Urban Household Enterprises in Sub-Saharan Africa Fare during COVID-19 ?en
dc.title.subtitleEvidence from High-Frequency Phone Surveysen
dc.typeWorking Paper
dspace.entity.typePublication
okr.date.disclosure2023-03-13
okr.date.lastmodified2023-03-13T00:00:00Zen
okr.doctypePolicy Research Working Paper
okr.doctypePublications & Research
okr.docurlhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099348503132322233/IDU05bdb518202c21042910b4a901cbe0cc9b544
okr.guid099348503132322233
okr.identifier.doi10.1596/1813-9450-10360
okr.identifier.externaldocumentum34020275
okr.identifier.internaldocumentum34020275
okr.identifier.reportWPS10360
okr.import.id101
okr.importedtrueen
okr.language.supporteden
okr.pdfurlhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099348503132322233/pdf/IDU05bdb518202c21042910b4a901cbe0cc9b544.pdfen
okr.region.geographicalSub-Saharan Africa
okr.topicSocial Protections and Labor::Labor Markets
okr.topicHealth, Nutrition and Population::SARS
okr.topicSocial Protections and Labor::Employment and Unemployment
okr.topicPrivate Sector Development::Microenterprises
okr.unitSocial Protection & Labor AFR 3 (HAWS3)
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