Category Archives: Jobs, Finance and Skills

The rise and fall of (Chinese) African apparel exports

Posted on September 24, 2012 by

Even the tiniest signs of industrial take-off in Africa always attract the attention of economists and policymakers, both of whom are eagerly waiting for the elusive African growth miracle. One such episode of excitement was the surge of apparel exports … Continue reading →

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Can large-scale public works programmes push up wages?

Posted on June 25, 2012 by

Most of the world’s poor live in rural areas, and at the bottom of the pyramid are landless workers subsisting on casual wage labour in agriculture. Policies that can put upward pressure on agricultural wages are therefore likely to be … Continue reading →

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To understand earnings in Africa, we need to look past the formal/informal divide

Posted on June 1, 2012 by

The debate about whether human capital or labour market institutions are the primary explanation for who earns what in developing countries is a long one. An important waypoint in this debate is the Harris-Todaro model, which came to be used to describe … Continue reading →

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Are contract teachers worth the hype?

Posted on May 14, 2012 by

Everyone complains about ‘failing’ state schools, but some countries are entitled to more of a gripe. State school teachers in a lot of countries just don’t show up for work, students in these schools can’t add and multiply despite years … Continue reading →

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The 2012 CSAE Conference

Posted on March 17, 2012 by

The 2012 CSAE Conference begins tomorrow at St. Catherine’s College, here in Oxford. The conference is probably the largest annual gathering of economists working on Africa. There will be an impressive array of speakers at the conference, including Stefan Dercon, … Continue reading →

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Policies for jobs in Africa: why we need more bad jobs (and fewer good ones)

Posted on March 1, 2012 by

Jobs are back on the policy agenda in a big way. The World Bank is proposing to move Jobs to the Center Stage for its 2013 World Development Report. The ILO has created a “Decent work agenda” which includes creating jobs, guaranteeing rights … Continue reading →

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Posted in Jobs, Finance and Skills | Tagged , , | 4 Comments