The main contribution of this document is to analyse the financial and economic crisis impact on economies and labour markets, and a range of policy responses in 10 African countries, namely Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Tanzania. This document compares policy measures implemented in 2008-2009 in these ten economies using data from the ILO/WB inventory of policy responses to the financial and economic crisis.
It looks at fiscal policy responses using data on direct beneficiaries and costs reported in this inventory. These measures included oil and food subsidies to answer the rise in commodity prices up to May 2008. The packages also included new measures to support agriculture and exports, to build and maintain infrastructure, and to create jobs for youth, as well as, in four cases, an increase in public wages.