437 research outputs found
An Economic Analysis of Debt Swaps and Case Study of the Harvard Debt for Education Swap
No full textEvaluation of Harvard University's debt for education swap with Ecuador yields a clear bottom line: Harvard unambiguously gains from the deal, since tuition receipts more than double initial outlays, and the university acquires assets to fund research in Ecuador. Ecuador's economic benefits, however, are less clear, since the dollar outflow from Ecuador may exceed the amount of new scholarship aid plus the true buyback value. Participants in future debt for education deals must consider both the uncertainty of economic gains and possible macroeconomic consequences for the debtor country.Peer reviewe
Asia’s race to capture post-MFA markets: a snapshot of labor standards, compliance, and impacts on competitiveness
No full textLabor regulations designed to protect workers, promote workplace equality, and improve working conditions achieve social objectives and affect international competitiveness. Considering these dual outcomes has taken on added urgency as Asian economies adjust to an increase in global competition in textiles and clothing following the end of the Multi-Fiber Agreement, with large projected gains for China and potential losses for other Asian producers. Countries that stand to lose from the MFA phase-out face China’s low cost and high quality production. This paper shows that China’s competitive threat lies in its extremely poor compliance record with its own and international labor standards. Yet empirical evidence generally supports the argument that the costs of raising and enforcing labor standards are offset by dynamic efficiency gains and macroeconomic effects. This evidence supports the case for Asian economies to pursue the “high road” in their race to capture post-MFA markets in textiles and clothing.Peer reviewedPublisher homepage: http://www.asia-studies.com/adr.htm
Trade policy liberalization and gender equality in the labor market: new evidence for India
No full textResults of our empirical specifications indicate that increasing trade openness in India’s more concentrated manufacturing industries is associated with growing residual wage gaps between male and female employees. This finding suggests that with declining rents in the concentrated sector post-liberalization, women appear to have borne the brunt of cost-cutting practices in firms’ compensation decisions. By analyzing the effects of the Indian trade liberalization on relative pay in manufacturing industries, and by providing empirical evidence that female employees appear to have fared less well as compared to their male counterparts, this study demonstrates that not everyone benefited equally as a consequence of the reforms.Peer reviewe
Engendering development strategies and macroeconomic policies: what’s sound and sensible?
No full textThis paper takes stock of the project on engendering macroeconomic theory and policies. We present an overview of feminist arguments and methodologies by focusing on the feminist critiques of neoliberal policies, key debates on conceptualization and measurement of well-being, methodologies for gender-aware analysis and the empirical evidence on gendered effects of development strategies and their component policies. We examine the gendered impacts of neoliberal reforms by using two approaches: a country case-study approach and a specific reform-focused evaluation of the theoretical predictions and empirical evidence
Bangladesh's ready-made garments sector: exports, employment, and working conditions
No full textThis paper examines the recent evidence on Bangladesh’s ready-made garment exports and working conditions in the context of trade liberalization since the end of 2004 and the global economic crisis of 2008-2009. Analysis of detailed export data shows that through early 2009, Bangladesh has managed to expand its garment exports and international market shares largely through the country’s volume-driven, low-price export niche in the global market. While this export performance, second to only China, appears to have maintained employment levels, the increasing pressure on unit prices is likely to strengthen supplier resistance to improving wages and working conditions. Evaluation of the recent record of working conditions indicates persistent problems that are associated with Bangladesh’s export niche and underscores the urgent need to move to a higher productivity export structure that would enable higher wages, improvements in working conditions, and overall gains in well-being. Implementation of a complementary set of domestic policies to diversify the structure of production (such as productivity-enhancing industrial policy, and investment in infrastructure and education) would enhance Bangladesh’s export competitiveness and move the economy away from overdependence on exports. These domestic policies must be enabled and strengthened by reforms to the international governance of trade and investment so as to promote exports, employment, and decent working conditions in low-income countries. Chief among these reforms are a revitalized GSP scheme that rewards improvements in working conditions with market access, and rules that prevent investor or buyer mobility in the face of higher labor costs.Peer reviewe
The Prevalence of Gender Topics in U.S. Economics Journals
No full textThis study complements existing research on the contributions and rankings of female economists with a descriptive analysis of the prevalence of gender issues in U.S. economics journals. Assuming that labor economics and development economics are the fields most likely to examine gender issues, I compare the incidence of gender-related articles in the last decade in leading U.S. general economics journals with top journals in the labor and development fields. I also examine the gender composition of authors of gender-related articles in all journals. Results indicate that the highest ranked field journals publish a higher percentage of articles on gender than do the leading general journals from among their labor and development papers. And unlike the common perception, a disproportionate number of the gender articles are written by men rather than women, particularly in the labor and general journals. The results suggest that departments that use publication in general journals as a proxy for overall research quality, and which do not consider alternative evaluations of research as potential full substitutes, may be using biased measures of the quality and importance of research on gender. The publication policies of general economics journals and the promotion policies of certain economics departments may have a direct effect in reducing both the number and perceived prestige of voices addressing issues of gender in economics.Peer reviewe
Women's labor market status and economic development
No full textThis chapter focuses on the structural drivers and constraints associated with the transition of women from unremunerated or low-paid production to higher-value work in three important labor market domains: entrepreneurship, agriculture, and wage employment. Understanding the drivers behind these types of employment and the constraints that women face can help to develop new policies that better support workers and their families, stimulate employment generation in countries with rapid labor force growth, and promote entrepreneurial activities that spur innovation and progress. In the spirit of these objectives, this chapter examines best practices in transforming women to be successful entrepreneurs, farmers, and wage workers. The chapter closes with the links between gender equality and economic growth, concluding that promoting gender equality can be a "gender-smart" way to achieve sustained economic development
Outstanding Female Economists in the Analysis and Practice of Development Economics
No full textThis article examines the contributions of five eminent economists, all women, to the analysis and practice of development economics. Irma Adelman, Frances Stewart, and Nancy Birdsall are leading advocates of alternative development strategies that focus on poverty alleviation and investment in human capital. Anne Krueger and Alice Amsden stand at the forefront of two opposing camps in a lively and long-lasting debate on the appropriate role of government in trade and industrialization. We use the storied careers of these economists as a vehicle to convey the big picture of how development economics has evolved and which topics have proved durable.Peer reviewe
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