EU member states must ensure careful and efficient implementation of economic recovery plans that support inclusion and growth to bounce back from the worst impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, says a new World Bank report.
The World Bank's latest EU Regular Economic Report - entitled Inclusive Growth at a Crossroads - finds that the unprecedented and exceptional policy response of governments and EU institutions has cushioned the worst impacts of the crisis on employment and income. However, the pandemic has exposed and exacerbated deep-seated inequalities, halting progress in multiple areas including gender equality and income convergence across the EU member states. A further three to five million people in the EU today are estimated to be 'at risk of poverty,' based on national thresholds benchmarked before the crisis. By March 2021, more than two-thirds of Croatian households reported insufficient savings. The lack of financial cushions to weather the economic crisis has been more severe for women, low-income families, and residents in rural areas.
The report highlights that effective recovery programs can reinforce progress on the green and digital transitions underway across the region. With the crisis continuing to unfold, government support schemes and the rollout of vaccines in a timely manner will remain essential to bolstering the resilience of firms, workers, and households. Given the longevity of the crisis and the impact on the most vulnerable, many governments have opted to extend the duration of support throughout 2021.
"A green, digital and inclusive transition is possible if economic policy is increasingly geared towards reforms and investment in education, health and sustainable infrastructure," said Gallina A. Vincelette, Director for the European Union Countries at the World Bank.
With an output contraction of 6.1 percent in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered the sharpest peacetime recession in the EU. Governments will need to ensure targeted and active labor market policies are in place to support an inclusive recovery. The report highlights that special attention should be given to already vulnerable workers such as youth, the self-employed, and those in informal employment. These groups are more likely to face employment adjustments during the crisis and may face longer spells of unemployment or periods outside the labor force. In Croatia, EU funding will play a key role in supporting the recovery and building stronger foundations for higher growth in the medium run. The plan foresees bold reforms and investments to help Croatia recover from the crisis and deal with some of its longstanding structural issues that should increase country's growth potential and accelerate the income convergence with the rest of the EU.
Women have been disproportionately impacted by work disruptions during the pandemic, particularly in the sectors facing the worst effects of the crisis. This was also highlighted in the 2020 Regular Economic Report produced by the World Bank, which found that at least one in five women will face difficulty returning to work compared to one in ten men. It has been harder for women to resume work due to the sectors and occupations that they are working in and because of the additional care burdens that have fallen disproportionately on their shoulders - a manifestation of increasing inequities in home environments. Looking ahead, Croatians, especially women and low-income earners are quite pessimistic about their financial situation in 2021 with the latest data showing that nearly 70 percent of the population believed their overall financial wellbeing in 2021 would not be any better than what they had last year. Therefore, a specific focus on those vulnerable groups seems warranted.
"As recovery takes hold, it will be important for carefully targeted and coordinated policy support to continue to mitigate the impact of the crisis, with measures increasingly targeted towards vulnerable households and viable firms. Policy makers will also need to strike a balance between helping those that need it most, while enhancing the productivity of the economy and keeping debt at manageable levels," added Vincelette.
World Bank's Regional Action in Europe and Central Asia
To date, the World Bank has committed more than $1.7 billion to help emerging economies in Europe and Central Asia mitigate the impacts of COVID-19. Since April 2020, around $866 million has been approved through new emergency response (MPA/Vaccines) projects. In addition, up to $904 million is being reallocated, used, or made available from existing projects and lending, including additional financing, to help countries with their COVID-19 response.
The World Bank's Global Economic Prospects suggests that growth will be strong but uneven in 2021. The global economy is set to expand 5.6 percent-its strongest post-recession pace in 80 years. The recovery largely reflects sharp rebounds in some major economies.
