The Labour Markets of Emerging Economies ― Has Growth Translated into More and Better Jobs?

The past few decades have witnessed the economic and geopolitical rise of a number of large middle-income countries around the world, which have to varying degrees embarked on a rapid path to economic development. This volume focuses on the labour market situations, trends and regulations in these emerging economies, examining how they have dealt with both short-term issues, namely the global financial crisis, and longer-term structural challenges.
Despite the economic progress made, improvements in the labour market have not been as impressive. Informality, working poverty and vulnerable employment continue to be the norm for most workers in these countries.
Part I of the volume compares labour market trends and the institutional and regulatory environments, referencing a range of countries including China and India. Part II includes in-depth case studies of Brazil, Indonesia, South Africa and Turkey. Overall, the volume shows that countries with effective policies and institutions in place are better equipped to tackle labour market challenges.

Sandrine Cazes is the Head of the Employment Analysis and Research Unit at the International Labour Office in Geneva, Switzerland. She was previously the Employment Specialist of the ILO Subregional Office for Central and Eastern Europe in Budapest and worked at the French Economic Observatory-Sciences Po in Paris. She has published widely on labour markets, job flexibility and employment stability.

Sher Verick is Senior Employment Specialist with the ILO office for South Asia in New Delhi, India. He holds a master's in development economics from the Australian National University and a PhD in economics from the University of Bonn, Germany. He is co-editor of From the Great Recession to Labour Market Recovery: Issues, Evidence and Policy Options (ILO/Palgrave Macmillan, 2011).