Industrial policy—the range of policy tools governments use to shape what an economy produces, rather than leaving it to markets alone—is back with a vengeance. Contrary to recent headlines, advanced ...

This study aims to establish a regional benchmark of the costs associated with acquiring and operating e-buses and charging infrastructure in LAC, and to explain the significant cost variation ...

This paper studies job preferences among women in rural and peri-urban areas in El Salvador using a discrete choice experiment. Drawing on focus group insights, the analysis varies wages and five ...

The World Bank’s Digital Transformation and Its Role in Expanding Women’s Economic Opportunities in Iraq, Jordan, and Lebanon ...

In many low- and middle-income countries, the missing jobs problem is typically framed as a shortfall in labor demand. Yet sustained output growth often coexists with limited durable wage employment, ...

Across many countries, young adults face a persistent skills mismatch, with firms reporting difficulty finding candidates with adequate soft skills. In Rwanda, young women face particularly acute ...

This Brief explores how childcare responsibilities shape women’s entrepreneurial choices and business growth, drawing on data from the Women, Business and the Law project as well as complementary ...

North Macedonia is undergoing a rapid demographic transition characterized by population ageing and a sharp rise in long-term care (LTC) needs. While the total population is projected to decline, the ...

The Guidelines presented here draw on 25 years of experience in developing performance-based contracting (PBC) programs in developing countries. They offer a practical and adaptable roadmap for road ...

This report takes stock of gender equality in ECA, with a particular focus on women’s access to economic opportunities and jobs, alongside the urgent challenge of VAWG. It highlights the World Bank ...

While there are strong theoretical arguments for ways in which public spending influences growth, robust empirical links have been difficult to establish. More recently, many of the methodological ...

Policy-makers across developing economies are implementing different forms of special economic zones (SEZs): programs intended to catalyze economic growth. The SEZ program is aimed at attracting ...