The Socio-Economic Impacts of Ebola in Liberia

• nearly half of those working at the start of the Ebola crisis are no longer working, despite improvements in the health situation
• Women are particularly vulnerable as the labor market stagnates, with 60 percent of those working at the start of the crisis no longer working
• Farmers cite difficulty in organizing work teams given Ebola fears, reducing harvests.

Background

In an effort to measure the economic impact of Ebola on Liberian households, the World Bank, with the Liberian Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services and the Gallup Organization, has conducted three rounds of mobile-phone surveys, in October, November, and December 2014. 

As of January 4, 2015 Liberia has reported over 8,000 cases of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), and nearly 3,500 deaths. In recent weeks, however, the crisis has shown signs of being brought under control, with daily confirmed cases down from twenty-five in November 2014 to ten in early December 2014. In addition, a number of health and travel restrictions have been lifted, and most closed markets reopened.

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