世界银行-各国如何应对新冠肺炎危机？新兴的就业模式与政策相关（英）-2023.4-18页_589kb

Overview of Policy Responses to COVID-19

Income Group Differences:

• Low-Income Countries: Primarily adopted public works programs and labor regulation adjustments; less likely to implement policies like unemployment benefits, wage subsidies, or cash transfers.
• High-Income Countries: More likely to adopt unemployment benefits, labor regulations, and wage subsidies; higher expenditure shares relative to GDP.

Expenditure Patterns:

• High-income countries allocated a larger share of GDP to jobs-related policies.
• Expenditure data coverage is low for middle-income countries, limiting accurate assessment. Burkina Faso's detailed data shows COVID spending at 0.22% of GDP, reflecting broader lack of comprehensive data.

Shock Correlation:

• Magnitude of GDP, health, or debt shocks did not significantly affect policy adoption choices. Factors like existing labor market institutions (e.g., unemployment protection schemes) had stronger predictive power.

Key Conclusions:

• Prior social protection systems were critical for scaling up during crises.
• Debt constraints (e.g., increasing debt-to-GDP ratios) pressured low-income countries toward lower-cost, limited-impact policies.
• Labor regulations (especially working condition changes) were more likely adopted in responses to stricter COVID restrictions.

Unemployment Benefits & Labor Regulations

• Unemployment Benefits: Higher adoption in high-income countries; 63% of these countries adopted such benefits. Pre-existing unemployment frameworks were enabling factors, while informality reduced adoption likelihood in low-income areas.
• Labor Regulations: Majority of countries adopted changes (68%). Key adjustments involved flexible working conditions (telework, reduced hours). Countries with higher COVID stringency adopted these regulations more frequently, regardless of health shock.

Summary of Findings

Countries responded variably to COVID-19 based on income level. Low-income nations prioritized low-cost policies like public works due to resource constraints, while high-income countries favored unemployment benefits and wage subsidies. Labor regulations were linked to policy stringency, especially during severe outbreaks. Existing labor market institutions and social protection systems proved crucial in guiding policy responses.