Today’s global economy is more interconnected than ever, and trade — along with global value chains (GVCs) — plays a major role in shaping job opportunities. Previous research has shown that manufacturing firms in developing countries engaged in international trade tend to hire more women, boosting female participation in the workforce. But as the services sector grows […]
Governments everywhere are facing significant fiscal challenges due to rising debt, ageing populations trend in some parts of the world such as Asia, Europe and Northern America, climate shocks, and heightened geopolitical tensions. As citizens expect more from their governments—better healthcare, stronger safety nets, faster disaster response—available budget resources are shrinking. Ministries of finance must now focus on deploying […]
Developing countries invest about $1 billion annually to train millions of aspiring and existing entrepreneurs. While significant, this investment doesn’t fully address the shortage of expertise needed to better support micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) or to design programs to improve their access to finance, markets, and technology. So, what is limiting MSMEs from […]
Imagine getting to work on a program that will bring internet access and digitally enabled services to 180 million people. Opportunities like these illustrate the meaningful role institutions like the World Bank, and teams across the institution like ours, can play in addressing urgent development challenges that can drastically improve people’s lives. In Eastern and […]
