Development
Low-income countries differ from higher-income countries in that they have large informal sectors, greater prevalence of self-employment and subsistence agriculture, low female labor participation rates and poor labor market conditions. As labor is most often the only asset of someone in poverty, policies that are not associated with job creation may fail to reduce poverty. Contributions to this subject area deal with the potential of labor economics to address those challenges.
Subject Editor
University of Maryland Baltimore County, USA, and IZA, Germany
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Public works programs in developing countries have the potential to reduce poverty
The success of public works programs in reducing poverty depends on their design and implementation—in practice, they do better as safety nets
Laura Zimmermann, May 2014Public works programs in developing countries can reduce poverty in the long term and help low-skilled workers cope with economic shocks in the short term. But success depends on a scheme’s design and implementation. Key design factors are: properly identifying the target population; selecting the right wage; and establishing efficient implementation institutions. In practice, rationing, corruption, mismanagement, and other implementation flaws often limit the effectiveness of public works programs.MoreLess -
Labor market consequences of the college boom around the world Updated
Better information on university quality may reduce underemployment and overeducation in developing countries
Gustavo A. YamadaPablo Lavado, December 2018As the number of secondary school graduates rises, many developing countries expand the supply of public and private universities or face pressure to do so. However, several factors point to the need for caution, including weak job markets, low-quality university programs, and job–education mismatches. More university graduates in this context could exacerbate unemployment, underemployment, and overeducation of professionals. Whether governments should regulate the quantity or quality of university programs, however, depends on the specific combination of factors in each country.MoreLess -
The labor market in South Africa, 2000–2017
The legacy of apartheid and demand for skills have resulted in high, persistent inequality and high unemployment
Jacqueline MosomiMartin Wittenberg, April 2020The South African economy was on a positive growth trajectory from 2003 to 2008 but, like other economies around the world, it was not spared from the effects of the 2008 global financial crisis. The economy has not recovered and employment in South Africa has not yet returned to its pre-crisis levels. Overall inequality has not declined, and median wages seem to have stagnated in the post-apartheid period. Labor force participation has been stable and although progress has been made, gender imbalances persist.MoreLess -
International trade regulation and job creation Updated
Trade policy is not an employment policy and should not be expected to have major effects on overall employment
L. Alan WintersMattia Di Ubaldo, February 2020Trade regulation can create jobs in the sectors it protects or promotes, but almost always at the expense of destroying a roughly equivalent number of jobs elsewhere in the economy. At a product-specific or micro level and in the short term, controlling trade could reduce the offending imports and save jobs, but for the economy as a whole and in the long term, this has neither theoretical support nor evidence in its favor. Given that protection may have other—usually adverse—effects, understanding the difficulties in using it to manage employment is important for economic policy.MoreLess -
Measuring disincentives to formal work
Does formal work pay? Synthetic measurements of taxes and benefits can help identify incentives and disincentives to formal work
Michael Weber, December 2015Evidence from transition economies shows that formal work may not pay, particularly for low-wage earners. Synthetic measurements of work disincentives, such as the formalization tax rate or the marginal effective tax rate, confirm a significant positive correlation between these measurements and the probability of informal work. These measures are especially informative for impacts at lower wage levels, where informality is highest. Policymakers who want to increase formal work can use these measurements to determine optimal labor taxation rates for low-wage earners and reform benefit design.MoreLess -
Does working from home work in developing countries?
Infrastructure constraints are major obstacles for working from home in developing countries
Mariana Viollaz, December 2022Work-from-home possibilities are lower in developing than in developed countries. Within countries, not all workers have equal chances of transitioning from the usual workplace to work-from-home. Moreover, infrastructure limitations and lack of access to certain services can limit the chances of effectively working from home. Having a home-based job can affect, positively or negatively, work–life balance, levels of job satisfaction and stress, and productivity. The differential chances of working from home may end up increasing the levels of income inequality between workers who can and those who cannot work from home.MoreLess -
Female labor force participation and development Updated
Improving outcomes for women takes more than raising labor force participation—good jobs are important too
Sher Verick, December 2018The relationship between female labor force participation and economic development is far more complex than often portrayed in both the academic literature and policy debates. Due to various economic and social factors, such as the pattern of growth, education attainment, and social norms, trends in female labor force participation do not conform consistently with the notion of a U-shaped relationship with GDP. Beyond participation rates, policymakers need to focus on improving women’s access to quality employment.MoreLess