The economic impact of Ebola survey is a high frequency cell phone survey designed to monitor the socio-economic impacts of the ongoing Ebola crisis in Liberia.
... See More + The survey has been conducted in three rounds from October to December 2014. The sample is based on the nationally representative household income and expenditure survey (HIES) implemented from February to August 2014 by the Liberia institute of statistics and geo-information services (LISGIS). This effort was designed to provide rapid indicators of well-being from households across the country at a time when conducting a traditional face-to-face survey is extremely challenging. The survey was conducted by phone, and attempted to contact all households that participated in the HIES and for which cell phone numbers were recorded. As in the previous two rounds, low response rates hinder the representativeness of the survey. The report begins with an update of the situation in Liberia with regards to the Ebola virus disease (EVD) crisis and response at the time of the third round of data collection (December 2 - 8, 2014). This was followed by updates on employment, prices, food security, and migration. About three-quarters of households indicated that they were worried at some point in the previous week that they will not have enough to eat. Around two-thirds of households responded that they were not able to purchase enough rice to meet their needs in the previous two weeks, and nearly 80 percent of those cited a lack of money as the main reason.
See Less -
The Seasonal Worker Program (SWP), which was informed by the Pacific Seasonal Worker Pilot Scheme (PSWPS), represents the first effort by an Australian government to explicitly open low-skilled work opportunities to Pacific Islanders since Federation.
... See More + The PSWPS was largely modelled on the success of New Zealands equivalent RSE scheme. The PSWPS ran over a four year period in the horticulture sector (2008-2012) and had a total cap of 2,500 workers. Despite the widespread success and rapid expansion of the RSE, the PSWPS got off to a slow start and never managed to reach its full potential. This paper aims to determine whether the factors constraining demand have changed since the PSWPS and what reforms could help lift employer demand. It does so through assessing the views of a sample of employers and industry bodies across the horticulture industry. The trial sectors are not covered. The study is divided into five sections. Section two describes the origin, design and features of both the PSWPS and SWP. Section three provides a brief overview of the survey. Section four presents the key results and discusses how these compare with those collected by Hay and Howes (2012). Section five explores a possible way forward by suggesting a series of reforms based on the core set of findings.
See Less -
The development objective of the Emergency Education System Stabilization Project (EESSP) for Lebanon is to ensure equitable access to educational opportunities in the public system, improve the quality of teaching and learning environment, and strengthen national education systems and monitoring.
... See More + Some of the negative impacts and mitigation measures include: (1) notifying the public of the works through appropriate notification in the media and or at publicly accessible sites (including the site of the works); (2) spraying water during pneumatic drilling and wall destruction dust shall be suppressed by ongoing water spraying and or installing dust screen enclosures at site; (3) ensuring that during operations the engine covers of generators, air compressors, and other powered mechanical equipment are closed, and equipment is placed as far away from residential areas as possible; (4) establishing appropriate erosion and sediment control measures such as hay bales and or silt fences to prevent sediment from moving off site and causing excessive turbidity in nearby streams and rivers; (5) ensuring that proper attention is given to sanitary services for schools occupants and students; and (6) identifying waste collection and disposal pathways and sites for all major waste types expected from demolition and construction activities.
See Less -
Agricultural and other physically demanding sectors are important sources of growth in developing countries but prevalent diseases such as malaria adversely impact the productivity, labor supply, and choice of job tasks among workers by reducing physical capacity.
... See More + This study identifies the impact of malaria on worker earnings, labor supply, and daily productivity by randomizing the temporal order at which piece-rate workers at a large sugarcane plantation in Nigeria are offered malaria testing and treatment. The results indicate a significant and substantial intent to treat effect of the intervention -- the offer of a workplace-based malaria testing and treatment program increases worker earnings by approximately 10 percent over the weeks following the offer. The study further investigates the effect of health information by contrasting program effects by workers' revealed health status. For workers who test positive for malaria, the treatment of illness increases labor supply, leading to higher earnings. For workers who test negative, and especially for those workers most likely to be surprised by the healthy diagnosis, the health information also leads to increased earnings via increased productivity. Possible mechanisms for this response include selection into higher return tasks within the plantation as a result of changes in the perceived cost of effort. A model of the worker labor decision that allows health expectations partly to determine the supply of effort suggests that, in endemic settings with poor quality health services, inaccurate health perceptions may lead workers to suboptimal labor allocation decisions. The results underline the importance of medical treatment, but also of access to improved information about one's health status, as the absence of either may lead workers to deliver lower effort in lower return jobs.
See Less -
Policy Research Working Paper WPS7120 NOV 01, 2014
This report analyzes the paths by which developing country labor markets adjust to permanent trade-related shocks. Trade shocks can bring about reallocation of labor between industries, but the presence of labor mobility costs implies economy-wide losses because they extend the period of economic adjustment.
... See More + This report focuses primarily on the adjustment costs faced by workers after a trade shock, because of magnitude and welfare implications and policy relevance. From a policy viewpoint, understanding the relative magnitudes of labor mobility and adjustment costs can help policymakers design trade policies that are consistent with employment objectives, can be complemented by labor policies, or support programs to facilitate labor transitions, or both. To complement and validate the analysis based on structural choice models, the study designed a distinct empirical approach using reduced-form econometric estimation strategies. This approach examines the impact of structural reforms and worker displacement on labor market outcomes. This makes it possible to estimate the time required to adjust to a trade-related shock, but does not assume the rigid underlying relationship inherent in structural models. This report is organized as follows: chapter one gives introduction. Chapter two presents evidence from the literature on the relative magnitude of labor adjustment costs borne by workers and by firms. Chapter three presents a new database of country-level labor mobility cost estimates for both developing and developed economies. Chapter four showcases country case studies in which labor mobility costs vary by industry, firm size, and worker type (for example, informal versus. formal). Chapter five analyzes the impact of structural reforms on aggregate labor market outcomes across countries and the effect of worker displacement due to plant closings on the employment outcomes of individual workers in Mexico. Chapter six concludes with a summary of the main findings about the labor adjustment costs associated with trade-related shocks and a discussion of policy responses internationally.
See Less -
Publication 88890 JUN 17, 2014
Hollweg, Claire H.; Lederman, Daniel; Rojas, Diego; Bulmer, Elizabeth Ruppert
This Handbook is intended to be a practical guide to help companies in the construction industry develop and implement an environmental and social management system, which should help to improve overall operations.
... See More + In the current economic climate, companies are under pressure to perform or even just survive. New initiatives are often met with resistance as people struggle to keep up with their day-to-day responsibilities. Some people think that an environmental and social management system must be big, complicated and expensive. But that is not really true. To be effective, a management system needs to be scaled to the nature and size of the company. If a company has existing management systems for quality or health and safety, this Handbook will help to expand them to include environmental and social performance. Sections I and II provide background on environmental and social management systems (ESMS) in the construction industry. Section III provides step-by-step instructions on how to develop and implement an ESMS. The ESMS Toolkit and Case Studies section gives: 1) tools to help develop and implement the systems described in the Handbook; and 2) case studies presenting two companies in the construction industry that implemented an ESMS.
See Less -
Today, textiles and apparel companies are confronted with a number of significant environmental and social challenges. None of the challenges are insurmountable, but if not effectively addressed and managed, they can hurt core business operations and profitability.
... See More + Among these challenges are increasing energy and raw materials costs, the growing power and influence of environmental and labor regulatory agencies, and rapidly evolving consumer awareness and concerns about environmental and social issues. These risks are in addition to the primary risk of failing to build brand and consumer confidence. This Handbook is intended to be a practical guide to help companies in the textiles and apparel industry develop and implement an environmental and social management system, which should help to improve overall operations. If a company has existing management systems for quality or health and safety, this Handbook will help to expand them to include environmental and social performance. Sections I and II of this handbook provide background on environmental and social management systems (ESMS) in the textiles and apparel industry. Section III provides step-by-step instructions on how to develop and implement an ESMS. The ESMS Toolkit and Case Studies section gives tools for implement the systems described, as well as two case studies of companies in the food and beverage industry that implemented an ESMS. Finally, the ESMS Self-Assessment and Improvement Guide is a companion publication contains a questionnaire, maturity matrix, and improvement tips to help companies measure the maturity of their ESMS.
See Less -
Seasonal worker programs are increasingly seen as offering the potential to be part of international development policy. New Zealand's Recognised Seasonal Employer program is one of the first and most prominent of programs designed with this perspective.
... See More + This paper provides a detailed examination of this policy through the first six seasons. This includes the important role of policy facilitation measures taken by governments and aid agencies. The evolution of the program in terms of worker numbers is discussed, along with new data on the (high) degree of circularity in worker movements, and new data on (very low) worker overstay rates. There appears to have been little displacement of New Zealand workers, and new data show Recognised Seasonal Employer workers to be more productive than local labor and that workers appear to gain productivity as they return for subsequent seasons. The program has also benefitted the migrants participating in the program, with increases in per capita incomes, expenditure, savings, and subjective well-being. Taken together, this evidence suggests that the program is largely living up to its promise of a "triple win" for migrants, their sending countries in the Pacific, and New Zealand.
See Less -
Policy Research Working Paper WPS6762 JAN 01, 2014
This report presents the results of a highly simplified profiling exercise to demonstrate the initial steps of profiling and draw some initial conclusions on the types of clients that might be covered by activation policies in Turkey, and the extent of their socio-economic vulnerability as well as labor market employability.
... See More + A key conclusion is that policy makers will need to decide whether to put the emphasis on the former or on the latter so that the dual objectives of protecting the vulnerable and helping them move out of transfer dependence are achieved. The initial profiling exercise shows that several large subgroups of the vulnerable comprise inactive females, often with limited or outdated skills. A priority might be to rethink the offer of public services involved in up-skilling the workforce, such as lifelong learning, in order to mobilize the largest identified segments. This Executive Summary reflects on four connected background papers. A conceptual framework first defines vulnerability and activation policies. A second background paper takes stock of the progress of activation policies in Turkey to date. A third background paper profiles the large and diverse group of vulnerable people in Turkey into units of higher or lower priority, while the final background paper examines how the capacity and skills of the vulnerable, especially those in the high priority units, can be built.
See Less -
This report presents the results of a highly simplified profiling exercise to demonstrate the initial steps of profiling and draw some initial conclusions on the types of clients that might be covered by activation policies in Turkey, and the extent of their socio-economic vulnerability as well as labor market employability.
... See More + A key conclusion is that policy makers will need to decide whether to put the emphasis on the former or on the latter so that the dual objectives of protecting the vulnerable and helping them move out of transfer dependence are achieved. The initial profiling exercise shows that several large subgroups of the vulnerable comprise inactive females, often with limited or outdated skills. A priority might be to rethink the offer of public services involved in up-skilling the workforce, such as lifelong learning, in order to mobilize the largest identified segments. This Executive Summary reflects on four connected background papers. A conceptual framework first defines vulnerability and activation policies. A second background paper takes stock of the progress of activation policies in Turkey to date. A third background paper profiles the large and diverse group of vulnerable people in Turkey into units of higher or lower priority, while the final background paper examines how the capacity and skills of the vulnerable, especially those in the high priority units, can be built.
See Less -
Decision number 481 of the World Bank Administrative Tribunal concerns the judgment for BY (No. 2), versus The World Bank, respondent, of an application received on December 17, 2012 by BY (No. 2) against the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
... See More + In this Application, his second to the Tribunal, the Applicant challenges the termination of his employment on the ground the Bank failed to provide him the reasonable accommodation of reassignment to a vacant position outside the unit in which he worked, as he alleges was recommended by his doctors and those appointed by the Banks Disability Administrator (Reed Group). The Applicant contends that the Bank breached his right to fair treatment, which forms part of the terms of employment of Bank staff, by making very little effort to make the accommodation unanimously recommended by health care providers after the Applicant became ill for work-related reasons. The Applicant further contends that the Bank committed itself to, and failed to, provide a reasonable accommodation within the meaning of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The Bank contends that it acted in excess of its legal duty when it offered to create a new position for the Applicant within the Region, with a TOR tailored to his professional background. According to the Bank, it first made this offer to the Applicant in August 2010 and the Applicant rejected it. The Bank further argues that the Applicant has failed to adduce any evidence to support his claim that the deterioration in his health was a result of the Respondents conduct and that the heavily redacted medical reports submitted by the Applicant do not establish that the Banks conduct caused such a deterioration. The Tribunal finds that the Bank complied with its obligations to provide a reasonable accommodation to the Applicant. Although the Applicant did not accept the accommodation offered, the Bank acted in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Applicants employment. The Tribunal wishes to note, however, its concern that it took the Bank some six months from the time the Release to Work Form was issued to first offer an accommodation to the Applicant. The tribunal decides that: (1) The Application is dismissed. (2) The Bank shall pay the Applicants costs in the sum of US$16,719.88.
See Less -
Working Paper (Numbered Series) 86169 OCT 03, 2013
Decision number 478 of the World Bank Administrative Tribunal concerns the judgment for David Tanner, versus The World Bank, respondent, of an application received on November 1, 2012 by David Tanner against the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
... See More + The Applicant contests the termination of his employment on grounds of abandonment of office pursuant to Staff Rule 7.01, paragraph 9.02, arguing that this wrongful dismissal was the culmination of a series of unjustified actions by the Bank. The applicant had been requested to provide testimony as expert witness in a case in New Zealand to which the Bank granted him permission using his unpaid leave for two weeks. Also to this point, the Applicant asked for telecommuting privileges for one year and was granted this. Following an investigation of misconduct for which the Applicant was not found guilty, the Bank recalled him the headquarters to which the Applicant refused. After a lengthy dispute the Bank informed the Applicant that he would be terminated if he did not return by the specified date. The Applicant seeks monetary compensation for the remainder of his contract, retirement contributions, and additional compensation in excess of USD 600,000. The Tribunal finds that the Applicants argument is unsupported by the Staff Rules. Staff Rule 7.02, paragraph 1.03(d) defines resettlement as moving a staff members residence to the place of resettlement. Here, the Applicant had already set up residence in the place of resettlement at the time his contract was terminated. The Applicant asserts that he suffered stress, humiliation and mental suffering as a result of the contested decisions. The Tribunal finds that any negative impact of the contested decisions on the Applicants health and family is not attributable to the Bank. The record demonstrates that both the EBC review and eventual termination of the Applicants employment contract on grounds of abandonment of office could have been avoided had the Applicant provided his supervisor with complete information from the onset, familiarized himself with the Staff Rules, and acted accordingly. Under these circumstances, the Tribunal finds no basis to award the Applicant damages for the impact of the contested decisions on his health and family. The Application is dismissed.
See Less -
Working Paper (Numbered Series) 86166 OCT 03, 2013
Informal employment is ubiquitous in developing countries, but few studies have estimated workers' switching costs between informal and formal employment.
... See More + This paper builds on the empirical literature grounded in discrete choice models to estimate these costs. The results suggest that inter-industry labor mobility costs are large, but entry costs into informal employment are significantly lower than the costs of entry in formal employment. Simulations of labor-market adjustments caused by a trade-related fall in manufacturing goods prices indicate that the share of informally employed workers rises after liberalization, but this is due to entry into the labor market by previously idle labor.
See Less -
Policy Research Working Paper WPS6614 SEP 01, 2013
Arias, Javier; Artuc, Erhan; Lederman, Daniel; Rojas, Diego
Estimates of labor mobility costs are needed to assess the responses of employment and wages to trade shocks when factor adjustment is costly. Available methods to estimate those costs rely on panel data, which are seldom available in developing countries.
... See More + The authors propose a method to estimate mobility costs using readily obtainable data worldwide. The estimator matches the changes in observed sectoral employment allocations with the predicted allocations from a model of costly labor adjustment. This paper estimates a world map of labor mobility costs and uses those estimates to explore the response of labor markets to trade policy.
See Less -
Policy Research Working Paper WPS6556 AUG 01, 2013
This paper presents empirical evidence from household and firm survey data collected during 2009-2010 on the implementation of the 2008 Labor Contract Law and its effects on China's workers.
... See More + The government and local labor bureaus have made substantial efforts to enforce the provisions of the new law, which has likely contributed to reversing a trend toward increasing informalization of the urban labor market. Enforcement of the law, however, varies substantially across cities. The paper analyzes the determinants of worker satisfaction with the enforcement of the law, the propensity of workers to have a labor contract, workers' awareness of the content of the law, and their likelihood of initiating disputes. The paper finds that all of these factors are highly correlated with the level of education, especially for migrants. Although higher labor costs may have had a negative impact on manufacturing employment growth, this has not led to an overall increase in aggregate unemployment or prevented the rapid growth of real wages. Less progress has been made in increasing social insurance coverage, although signing a labor contract is more likely to be associated with participation in social insurance programs than in the past, particularly for migrant workers.
See Less -
Policy Research Working Paper WPS6542 JUL 01, 2013
Gallagher, Mary; Giles, John; Park, Albert; Wang, Meiyan
The objective of the Sava Waterway Rehabilitation Project for Bosnia and Herzegovina is to improve the operational performance and safety of commercial and leisure vessels on the Sava River, thereby contributing to improved utilization of the river ports.
... See More + Negative impacts include: air pollution, dust, flora and fauna, noise pollution, soil erosion, and waste management. Mitigation measures include: a) prohibit tourist recreational traffic and traffic of high-speed boats in the vicinity of known spawning places; b) provide safe disposal of sanitary waste water from ships in ports. The ships should undertake ballast water management measures in accordance with requirements of the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships Ballast Water and Sediments; c) provide appropriate procedures for managing chemical and fuel storage areas. Fuelling, loading and unloading activities on ships should be conducted by properly trained personnel according to pre-established formal procedures; d) prohibit tourist recreational traffic and traffic of high-speed boats in the vicinity of known spawning places; and e) allow passage of vessels that transport hazardous cargo and substances (chemical, oil, etc.) only with police entourage.
See Less -
The Turkish economy was hit hard by the global economic crisis, but recovered fast and strong. The economy had already started to slow down in 2007, but the global financial events of late 2008 led to a sharp contraction starting in the last quarter of 2008 until growth resumed in the last quarter of 2009.
... See More + The recovery was rapid, with growth reaching 9 percent in 2010 and 8.5 percent in 2011. This study looks at how the labor market fared during the recent downturn and recovery and informs policies to manage labor markets through the economic cycle and address the jobs challenge in Turkey. The study investigates: (i) pre-crisis labor market trends and the structural jobs challenge in Turkey; (ii) aggregate and distributional impacts of the recent crisis, and subsequent recovery, on the labor market; and (iii) recent policy measures and existing labor market institutions in the context of observed labor market outcomes. Based on this analysis and a comparison with selected countries from around the world, the study suggests options to improve the responsiveness of policies to future crises and to adjust the policy mix through the economic cycle. Finally, the study links policies to manage labor markets through the cycle with measures to address the longer term, structural jobs challenge in Turkey.
See Less -
The Turkish economy was hit hard by the global economic crisis, but recovered fast and strong. The economy had already started to slow down in 2007, but the global financial events of late 2008 led to a sharp contraction starting in the last quarter of 2008 until growth resumed in the last quarter of 2009.
... See More + The recovery was rapid, with growth reaching 9 percent in 2010 and 8.5 percent in 2011. This study looks at how the labor market fared during the recent downturn and recovery and informs policies to manage labor markets through the economic cycle and address the jobs challenge in Turkey. The study investigates: 1) pre-crisis labor market trends and the structural jobs challenge in Turkey; 2) aggregate and distributional impacts of the recent crisis, and subsequent recovery, on the labor market; and 3) recent policy measures and existing labor market institutions in the context of observed labor market outcomes. Finally, the study links policies to manage labor markets through the cycle with measures to address the longer term, structural jobs challenge in Turkey. Ongoing structural transformations and the large 'stock' of low-skilled workers are behind the jobs challenge in Turkey. Continued urbanization and labor shedding in agriculture, along with the increase in the Working Age Population (WAP), will continue to increase the number of (mostly) young and low-skilled workers looking for non-agricultural jobs. The Turkish Employment Agency (ISKUR) plays a key role in activating low-skilled workers into productive employment. ISKUR has come a long way since 2008, increasing the coverage and quality of vocational training, introducing job and vocational counselors and linking social assistance receipts to registration in ISKUR.
See Less -
The Turkish economy was hit hard by the global economic crisis, but recovered fast and strong. The economy had already started to slow down in 2007, but the global financial events of late 2008 led to a sharp contraction starting in the last quarter of 2008 until growth resumed in the last quarter of 2009.
... See More + The recovery was rapid, with growth reaching 9 percent in 2010 and 8.5 percent in 2011. This study looks at how the labor market fared during the recent downturn and recovery and informs policies to manage labor markets through the economic cycle and address the jobs challenge in Turkey. The study investigates: 1) pre-crisis labor market trends and the structural jobs challenge in Turkey; 2) aggregate and distributional impacts of the recent crisis, and subsequent recovery, on the labor market; and 3) recent policy measures and existing labor market institutions in the context of observed labor market outcomes. Finally, the study links policies to manage labor markets through the cycle with measures to address the longer term, structural jobs challenge in Turkey. Ongoing structural transformations and the large 'stock' of low-skilled workers are behind the jobs challenge in Turkey. Continued urbanization and labor shedding in agriculture, along with the increase in the Working Age Population (WAP), will continue to increase the number of (mostly) young and low-skilled workers looking for non-agricultural jobs. The Turkish Employment Agency (ISKUR) plays a key role in activating low-skilled workers into productive employment. ISKUR has come a long way since 2008, increasing the coverage and quality of vocational training, introducing job and vocational counselors and linking social assistance receipts to registration in ISKUR.
See Less -
The objective of the Road Rehabilitation and Safety Project for Serbia is to support the Government of Serbia in enhancing the efficiency, effectiveness and safety of its main and regional road network, through the improvement of a proportion of these road networks, scaling up of the use of efficient road asset management practices, the institutionalization of safe road design principles and road safety audits, and the strengthening of the institutional capacity of Public Enterprise Roads of Serbia (PERS).
... See More + Negative impacts include: noise disturbance to human and animal population and workers, dust pollution, traffic disruption during construction activity, water and soil pollution from improper material storage, worker safety, air pollution, and erosion. Mitigation measures include: 1) equipment operating with noise mufflers and licenced; 2) noisy equipment will be located as far as possible from residential or other sensitive receptors; 3) wetting down/spraying of construction areas, accesses, materials stockpiles and during loading/unloading activities, covering of vehicles carrying dusty materials, wheel washing/spraying of vehicles, and management of spoil, etc.; 4) traffic management plan with measures to redirect traffic that are easily seen or easy to follow; 5) dispose waste material at location protected from washing out; 6) provide workers with safety instructions and protective equipment; and 7) install traffic signs for speed limit.
See Less -