Ebola, jobs and economic activity in Liberia

Abstract

BackgroundThe 2014 Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in the neighbouring West African countries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone represents the most significant setback to the region's development in over a decade. This study provides evidence on the extent to which economic activity declined and jobs disappeared in Liberia during the outbreak.MethodsTo estimate how the level of activity and number of jobs in a given set of firms changed during the outbreak, we use a unique panel data set of registered firms surveyed by the business-development non-profit organisation, Building Markets. We also compare the change in economic activity during the outbreak, across regions of the country that had more versus fewer Ebola cases in a difference-in-differences approach.FindingsWe find a large decrease in economic activity and jobs in all of Liberia during the Ebola outbreak, and an especially large decline in Monrovia. Outside of Monrovia, the restaurants, and food and beverages sectors have suffered the most among the surveyed sectors, and in Monrovia, the construction and restaurant sectors have shed the most employees, while the food and beverages sectors experienced the largest drop in new contracts. We find little association between the incidence of Ebola cases and declines in economic activity outside of Monrovia.ConclusionsIf the large decline in economic activity that occurred during the Ebola outbreak persists, a focus on economic recovery may need to be added to the efforts to rebuild and support the healthcare system in order for Liberia to regain its footing.

The impact of the Ebola virus disease (EVD) epidemic on agricultural production and livelihoods in Liberia

“…This suggests that the effects of the EVD epidemic were not limited to the communities where EVD occurred, but that the EVD crisis affected communities throughout the country. These results are in line with the findings of Bowles et al (2016) [ 63 ] who reported that during the EVD epidemic, there was a remarkable decline in economic activities across Liberia, but that in most cases, there was little association between the decline in economic activities and the number of Ebola cases. Thus, post-epidemic rehabilitation measures should not only be limited to communities directly affected by EVD, but should also target those indirectly affected by the epidemic.…”

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Firms: A survey in Guangdong Province, China

“…Most researches about public health emergencies have focused on changes in overall consumption trends. By reviewing public health emergencies in the past 20 years, some major research perspectives were found, such as consumption trends, consumption behavior, changes in consumer decision-making and consumer psychology and so on [21,22,23,24]. These researches con rm that the pandemic reduces economic activity and employment and inhibits consumption, which consists with our ndings on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.…”

“…For the pressure shown in Q3, rms were facing employment and settlement costs. In addition, 22.9% of rms encountered cancellation of orders from domestic customers. Many rms showed that the market expansion was also affected, due to the impossibility of site visiting and face to face interviews to customers.…”

Public health impact of the 2014–2015 Ebola outbreak in West Africa: seizing opportunities for the future

“…Outbreak control activities also led to the closure of schools, markets and hospitals, and some countries even closed borders for fear of mass transmission. Through outbreak control activities and spurred by fears of transmission, the EVD outbreak had a significant impact on the economy of the region, reducing agriculture and fishing, mainstays of the communities and severely curtailing business and trade activities 11. Further public health deterioration operated through economic pathways, increasing poverty and food insecurity 12…”