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COVID-19 Impact and Recovery among Malaysian Households : High-Frequency Phone Survey - Round 2 (October 17 - November 1, 2021) (English)

To support evidence-based policy responses to the COVID-19 crisis, the World Bank launched a fast-deploying, high-frequency (HiFy) phone-based survey of households in several rounds, to generate near real time insights into the socio-economic impact of the pandemic on households. The second round of the HiFy survey was conducted in October and November 2021, re-interviewing the same respondents who participated in the first round of the survey fielded back in May and June 2021. The panel nature of the survey allowed for monitoring of the dynamics of households' wellbeing during the pandemic. Findings from the HiFy Round 2 survey showed signs of recovery across the board. In the second half of 2021, conditions in the labor market had improved following the reopening of the economy and relaxation of mobility restrictions. In general, employment fluctuations had also lessened since June 2021. However, young workers, those with low-education, and low-income earners continued experiencing work stoppage and job switching. While over half of households had regained their pre-pandemic income levels by November 2021, less educated and informally employed workers remained vulnerable to income losses. Low-income households also reported greater vulnerabilities in terms of food security, financial adequacy, and access to online learning for their children. Despite a significant increase in the coverage of the Government’s program responses, some of these poor and vulnerable households remained excluded from the program. The HiFy Round 2 study confirmed that recovery had not been experienced equally by Malaysian households and individuals, particularly the poor and vulnerable. This risks exacerbating inequalities and diminishing their capabilities to cope with future shocks. These findings are expected to be useful for informing policymaking processes, including the scaling up or redirecting of responses as necessary towards an inclusive and sustainable recovery from the COVID-19 crisis.

Details

  • Author

    World Bank

  • Document Date

    2022/06/23

  • Document Type

    Working Paper

  • Report Number

    172963

  • Volume No

    1

  • Country

    Malaysia,

  • Region

    East Asia and Pacific,

  • Disclosure Date

    2022/06/23

  • Disclosure Status

    Disclosed

  • Board Meeting Date

    2022-06-23T00:00:00Z

  • Doc Name

    COVID-19 Impact and Recovery among Malaysian Households : High-Frequency Phone Survey - Round 2 (October 17 - November 1, 2021)

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Citation

World Bank

COVID-19 Impact and Recovery among Malaysian Households : High-Frequency Phone Survey - Round 2 (October 17 - November 1, 2021) (English). Washington, D.C. : World Bank Group http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099705206232213729/P17543701d72f00470968401289d32fa325

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