Can Public Works Programs Help the Poor During Crises?
Economic crises can be particularly arduous for poor and vulnerable people. In particular, job losses stemming from economic downturns undercut the ability of more vulnerable households to support themselves. Public works programs, which help sustain poor households through temporary employment, are one method used by governments to lessen the impacts of crises. The World Bank is focused on helping countries end poverty. Key to this knows which programs do and do not yield tangible results. To help policymakers assess the effectiveness of Latvia's public works program, the World Bank supported an evaluation of the government-sponsored public works initiative, which was launched in response to the global financial crisis of 2008-2010. The evaluation found that the program successfully reached its intended target, helping Latvia's worst-off cope with the crisis by increasing their short-term incomes. For policymakers and development experts, this evaluation underscores the usefulness of public works programs as emergency social safety net instruments even in upper-middle income countries.
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Language: | English en_US |
| Published: |
Washington, DC
2013-01
|
| Subjects: | CRISES, ECONOMIC CRISES, ECONOMIC DOWNTURNS, ELECTRICITY, EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, ENVIRONMENTAL CLEAN-UP, GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT, HOUSEHOLD SURVEY, INCOME, INCOME DISTRIBUTION, JOB CREATION, JOB CREATION PROGRAM, JOB LOSSES, LABOR MARKET, MINIMUM WAGE, MUNICIPALITIES, POOR, PROGRAM BENEFICIARIES, PUBLIC, PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE, PUBLIC WORKS, PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAM, PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMS, SAFETY, SAFETY NET, SOCIAL FUNDS, TARGETING, TARGETING MECHANISMS, TAX, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, TEMPORARY EMPLOYMENT, TEMPORARY EMPLOYMENT SCHEME, TEMPORARY JOB, TEMPORARY JOBS, UNEMPLOYED, UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE, UNEMPLOYMENT, UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS, UNEMPLOYMENT RATE, UNEMPLOYMENT RATES, WORKER, |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2013/01/17193661/can-public-works-programs-help-poor-during-crises https://hdl.handle.net/10986/17050 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | Economic crises can be particularly
arduous for poor and vulnerable people. In particular, job
losses stemming from economic downturns undercut the ability
of more vulnerable households to support themselves. Public
works programs, which help sustain poor households through
temporary employment, are one method used by governments to
lessen the impacts of crises. The World Bank is focused on
helping countries end poverty. Key to this knows which
programs do and do not yield tangible results. To help
policymakers assess the effectiveness of Latvia's
public works program, the World Bank supported an evaluation
of the government-sponsored public works initiative, which
was launched in response to the global financial crisis of
2008-2010. The evaluation found that the program
successfully reached its intended target, helping
Latvia's worst-off cope with the crisis by increasing
their short-term incomes. For policymakers and development
experts, this evaluation underscores the usefulness of
public works programs as emergency social safety net
instruments even in upper-middle income countries. |
|---|