Creating Jobs in South Asia’s Conflict Zones

Iyer, Lakshmi; Santos, Indhira

Creating Jobs in South Asia’s Conflict Zones

Autores

Iyer, Lakshmi

Santos, Indhira

Editor

World Bank, Washington, DC

Descripción

This paper describes the key challenges to job creation in conflict-affected environments in South Asia. It uses household survey data since the early 2000s for Afghanistan, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka to document the characteristics of labor markets in conflict-affected areas, exploiting the spatial and time variation in armed conflict within countries. The analysis finds that, across countries, labor markets look very different in conflict-affected areas when compared with non-conflict or low-conflict areas. Employment rates are higher in large part because women participate more in the labor market, but work tends to be more vulnerable, with more self-employment and unpaid family work. The authors show that these differences often pre-date the conflict but are also exacerbated by it. They also examine the constraints on the private sector activity in such areas, using firm surveys when possible. Finally, the paper reviews the existing literature and the policy experiences of several countries to draw some policy implications for job creation efforts in the conflict-affected areas of South Asia. It particularly highlights the role of the private sector and community initiatives, in conjunction with public policies, to improve the environment for successful job creation.

Palabras clave

ABSENTEEISM, ADOLESCENTS, ADULT LITERACY, ARMED CONFLICT, ARMED CONFLICTS, ARMED FORCES, BASIC HEALTH CARE, BATTLE, CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES, CHILD SOLDIERS, CITIZENS, CIVIL CONFLICT, CIVIL WAR, COMBATANTS, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, CONFLICT, CONFLICT RESOLUTION, CONFLICTS, CONSTRAINT, COUNTERTERRORISM, CREATING JOBS, DEATHS, DECADES OF WAR, DEMOBILIZATION, DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, DEVELOPMENT POLICY, DISADVANTAGED GROUPS, DISARMAMENT, DISPLACEMENT, DOMESTIC MARKET, DRINKING WATER, EARNING, EARTHQUAKE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ECONOMIC GROWTH, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, EDUCATIONAL SERVICES, EMPLOYABLE SKILLS, EMPLOYMENT GENERATION, EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN, EMPLOYMENT PATTERNS, EMPLOYMENT SERVICES, EX-COMBATANTS, EXCOMBATANTS, EXPORT PROCESSING ZONES, FAMILY LABOR, FAMILY MEMBERS, FEMALE EMPLOYMENT, FEMALE LABOR, FEMALE LABOR FORCE, FIGHTING, FIRM SIZE, FIRM SURVEYS, FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSIONS, FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT, FOREIGN GOODS, FORMAL EDUCATION, FORMER FIGHTERS, FRONTIER, HEALTH SERVICES, HOST COUNTRY, HOUSEHOLD INCOME, HOUSEHOLD SURVEY, HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS, HUMAN CAPITAL, HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN RESOURCES, ILLITERACY, IMPACT OF CONFLICT, IMPORTANT POLICY, INCOME-GENERATING ACTIVITIES, INFORMAL SECTOR, INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT, INTERNAL CONFLICTS, INTERNAL MIGRANTS, INTERNAL MIGRATION, INTERNATIONAL BANK, INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, INTERNATIONAL DONORS, INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE, JOB CREATION, JOB OPPORTUNITIES, LABOR DEMAND, LABOR FORCE, LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION, LABOR MARKET, LABOR MARKET CHARACTERISTICS, LABOR MARKET CONDITIONS, LABOR MARKET INDICATORS, LABOR MARKET INFORMATION, LABOR MARKET INSTITUTIONS, LABOR MARKET POLICIES, LABOR MARKET PROGRAMS, LABOR MARKETS, LABOR REGULATION, LABOR SUPPLY, LAND ISSUES, LAND MINES, LEGISLATIVE CHANGES, LEVELS OF EDUCATION, LIVING STANDARDS, LOCAL COMMUNITIES, LOCAL COMMUNITY, LOCAL INFRASTRUCTURE, MENTAL HEALTH, MIGRATION, MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, NATIONAL UNEMPLOYMENT, NATIONAL UNEMPLOYMENT RATE, NATIONALS, NATIONS, NATURAL RESOURCES, NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS, NUMBER OF DEATHS, OCCUPATION, OPEN UNEMPLOYMENT, PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT, PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN, PEACE, PEACE RESEARCH, PERMANENT EMPLOYMENT, PERSONAL COMMUNICATION, PLACES OF ORIGIN, POLICE, POLICY DIALOGUE, POLICY DISCUSSIONS, POLICY IMPLICATIONS, POLICY MAKERS, POLICY RESEARCH, POLICY RESEARCH WORKING PAPER, POLITICAL INSTABILITY, POPULATION DATA, PRACTITIONERS, PRIMARY EDUCATION, PRIMARY SCHOOL, PRIVATE COMPANIES, PRIVATE COMPANY, PRIVATE FIRMS, PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, PRIVATE SECTOR, PRIVATE SECTOR ACTIVITY, PRIVATE SECTOR COMPANIES, PRIVATE SECTOR FIRMS, PRIVATE SECTOR JOB, PROFESSIONAL SOLDIERS, PROGRESS, PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT, PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT, PUBLIC SERVICES, PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, PUBLIC WORK, PUBLIC WORKS, PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMS, PUBLIC WORKS PROJECT, RADIO, REBEL, REBELS, RECONSTRUCTION, REGIONAL CONFLICT, REHABILITATION, REINTEGRATION PROCESS, RESOURCE ALLOCATION, RETURNEES, RIGHT-WING, ROAD, ROADS, RURAL AREAS, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE, SAFETY NET, SALARIED WORKERS, SANITATION, SCHOOL CHILDREN, SECONDARY EDUCATION, SECONDARY SCHOOL, SERVICE DELIVERY, SERVICE PROVISION, SEXUAL VIOLENCE, SKILLED LABOR, SMALL BUSINESS, SMALL ENTERPRISES, SOCIAL COHESION, SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, STATE GOVERNMENTS, SUPPLIERS, TELEVISION, TERTIARY EDUCATION, TRAINING COMPONENT, TRAINING COURSE, TRAINING PROGRAMS, UNEMPLOYMENT, UNEMPLOYMENT RATES, UNPAID FAMILY WORKERS, UNSKILLED LABOR, URBAN AREAS, URBAN WORKERS, URBANIZATION, VICTIMS, VIOLENCE, VIOLENT CONFLICT, VOCATIONAL TRAINING, VULNERABILITY, WAGE EMPLOYMENT, WAGE GROWTH, WARS, WATER SUPPLIES, WEAPONS, WORK EXPERIENCE, WORKER, WORKERS, WORKFORCE, WORKING-AGE POPULATION, WORLD DEVELOPMENT, YOUNG MEN, YOUNG PEOPLE, YOUNG WOMEN, YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT