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 susta...
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| Format: | Brief |
| Language: | English en_US |
| Published: |
Washington, DC
2014
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2013/01/17193661/can-public-works-programs-help-poor-during-crises http://hdl.handle.net/10986/17050 |
| 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. |
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