提供护理服务的公共工程：增加妇女的经济机会，提高人力资本，培养护理经济技能

NOVEMBER 2025|NO. 26-05 Public Works ThatProvide Care Services HIGHLIGHT Women around the world face a heavier careburden than men, restricting their participa-tion in the labor force. At the same time, theshortage of quality, accessible, and affordablecare services undermines human developmentand well-being. Limited investment in earlychildhood care and education reduces chil-dren’s learning and future earnings potential.Similarly, inadequate elderly care undermineshealth, independence, and well-being amongolder adults. Investing in care is, therefore, im-portant not only for closing gender gaps butalso for boosting human capital outcomes. Italso makes a compelling economic case forinvestment, given the care economy’s po-tential to drive growth and create jobs in thecontext of ongoing demographic shifts. Thisnote discusses how public works programs(PWPs) may reduce care burden, increase theprovision of care services for those in need,and build skills for the care economy. Drawingon examples of World Bank-supported PWPsthat provide childcare, the note explores howsuch programs can be designed and imple-mented, and what potential benefits andchallenges early evidence reveals.Public Disclosure AuthorizedPublic Disclosure AuthorizedPublic Disclosure Authorized Enhancing Women’s EconomicOpportunities, BoostingHuman Capital, and BuildingSkills for the Care Economy Itay Noy and Alessandra Heinemanni KEY MESSAGES •Women worldwide face a disproportionatecare burden, which limits their ability toparticipate in the workforce. At the sametime, the lack of quality, accessible, andaffordablecare services adversely affectshuman capital outcomes. •Countries have started investing in PWPs thatprovide care services, including childcare,elderlycare,support for orphans,andindividuals with long-term health conditions. •While evidence remains limited, evaluationsof childcare-providing PWPs shows positiveimpacts on women’s earnings, employment,and child development. •Investment in care services, such as childcareand care for the elderly, is important not onlyto boost employment for women but alsofor human development and well-being. •Moreexperimentationandsystematicresearch are needed across different types ofcare-providing PWPs to assess other short-and long-term impacts, for example on skillsand well-being, and their sustainability. •As demographics shift,there is a stronginvestment case for the care economy as itholds significant potential to drive growthand jobs. The Case for Investing in Care Through Public Works Programs Across the world, women’s unequal care burdensprevent them from fully participating in economiclife.Care work, both paid and unpaid, has long beendisproportionately carried out by women,1 and suffersfrom a lack of visibility and recognition.2Unpaid carework, which comprises much of the labor involved in“maintaining the health and well-being of children, olderpersons, and other family members,”3 limits women’sability to engage in income-generating activities.4Paidcare work, moreover, is often precarious with low wagesand poor employment conditions, and associated withhigher levels of poverty and vulnerability.5 building human capital at an early stage as limited invest-ment in early childhood development reduces children’slearning and future earnings potential.8Similarly, inade-quate elderly care undermines health, independence, andwell-being among older adults.9 There is also a strong economic case for investingin care.With rising numbers of children and elderly inmany countries,10the care economy carries major poten-tial for job creation and economic growth.11The annualmonetary value of women’s unpaid care work globallyhas been estimated at US$10.8 trillion,12and expandingthe childcare workforce alone to meet current needsmay result in an additional 43 million jobs worldwide.13Tapping into this potential, however, requires increasedformalization of the care economy: Converting unpaidwork into paid work, improving working conditions,building skills, and expanding and enhancing the qualityof available care services.14The provision of care throughPWPs can contribute to this. Investing in care services is important for closinggender gaps and boosting human capital.Investmentin care can increase female labor force participation andthus address gender gaps in employment, contributing toeconomic growth.6Recent studies highlight the significantbenefits of investment in childcare, enabling women to(re)enter the workforce, increasing household income, andimproving child well-being.7Quality childcare is crucial for An increasing number of PWPs are integratingcare solutions to facilitate participation, boostcare-specific skills and increase the supply of careservices in communities.This typically follows twoapproaches. Recognizing that existing care obligationscan hinder participation in PWPs, some programs havestarted providing childcare at work sites while retainingtraditional work on physical ass