Fragile and conflict-affected countries are home to about 46% of the world’s extreme poor. The need for support is great in these environments, but ironically, data is scarcer than anywhere else…
As the spread of COVID-19 expands in less developed countries, policymakers will face an additional challenge that was largely absent in more developed economies – the informal sector.
To explore the ramifications of the unprecedented shock of COVID-19 on Albanian firms, the World Bank’s Enterprise Analysis Unit and IFC undertook a survey in June 2020, re-contacting the same…
The World Bank’s Enterprise Survey program is not just about surveying formal firms. In some countries (such as Mozambique, Zimbabwe & Lao DPR), they now also conduct surveys of informal firm…
Released in 2013, the Bangladesh Enterprise Survey asked more than 1,400 business managers whether In your experience of hiring employees, do any of the following constrain the hiring of women?…
The World Bank Group’s Enterprise Surveys benchmark the business environment based on actual experiences of firms. In a new blog series we kicked off last week, we’re sharing these findings from…
Using the World Bank Enterprise Survey (WBES) panel data on firms before and after the onset of COVID-19 in 16 countries, we present novel evidence on the role of management practices as a…
Recent World Bank investment climate surveys find that the top two constraints for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Africa are access to finance and access to energy. Given that SMEs…
The private sector continues to be a critical driver of job creation and economic growth. However, several factors can undermine the private sector and, if left unaddressed, may impede development…