本研究考虑了新冠肺炎对萨尔瓦多、危地马拉、洪都拉斯和尼加拉瓜四个中美洲国家企业的经济影响。在进行分析时，大流行病及其经济后果都尚未完全结束。因此，这不是一个明确的分析，但尽快吸取重要的教训是很重要的。这项研究的主要重点是对劳动力市场的初步影响。该分析基于世界银行在2019冠状病毒病疫情爆发前开展的企业调查，以及世界银行同样开展的关于疫情影响的后续调查。这些数据与政府控制措施以及发病率和死亡率的数据相结合。使用企业数据来分析劳动力市场问题有一些局限性，但也有许多优点。这些数据有助于分析就业方面性别平等的后果。由于劳动力需求是一种衍生需求，企业层面的数据与劳动力市场的影响有明确的联系。大流行导致许多公司的销售额大幅下降，这造成了流动性的损失，进而导致一些公司减少了就业、工作时间和工资。 Government containment measures necessary to save lives such as temporary workplace closures have added to the burden for both firms and employees. The study starts by using the surveys to identify the important stylised facts. Although some issues are already well documented anecdotally through media reports this provides a more evidence based approach. It also helps identify several issues, such as the impact on gender equality which have received less journalistic attention. The study is further supported by a regression analysis (OLS and SURE) of several key outcomes (changes in sales, employment, the share of females in employment and firm expectations of survival). A limitation of such analysis with any enterprise level is heterogeneity and, in consequence, a risk of sample selection bias. To provide robustness checks we use a matching approach. The results suggest that a significant proportion of surviving firms are vulnerable to permanent closure. The ability of firms to retain labour depends on sales which are affected by both the pandemic itself and the government containment measures. Only a small proportion of firms have received government support and there is evidence that it could help both firm survival and the retention of labour. There is some doubt whether the four countries have the institutional capacity to provide effective support. If such doubts prove well founded then support may need to be externally driven.
