International trade and income distribution : reconsidering the evidence.

This article reassesses the link between international trade and income distribution. We argue that one way to assess the influence of international trade upon income distribution is to take account of each country’s specific trade patterns by measuring the changes in the factor content of trade. The econometric specification is based on changes in Gini indices (over non-overlapping 4-year intervals), computed exclusively from series drawn from the same source. Our results show that a change in the factor content of trade has a significant impact on income distribution. The sign and magnitude of this impact is conditional on the national income level. We find that an increase in the labor content of trade raises income inequality in poor countries, but reduces it in rich countries (the reverse is true for the capital content of trade). In particular, we show that in the 1980s and 1990s, international trade may have contributed significantly to widening income inequalities in developing countries.Income distribution; International trade; Factor content; Gini Index;

Trade Liberalization, Inequality and Poverty in Brazilian States.

This paper studies the impact of trade liberalization and international trade on household income inequality and poverty using detailed micro-data across Brazilian states, from 1987 to 2005. Results suggest that Brazilian states that were more exposed to tariff cuts experienced smaller reductions in household poverty and inequality. If significance of results on Brazilian states depends on the choice of poverty and inequality indicators, robust and contrasting results emerge when we disaggregate into rural and urban areas within states. Trade liberalization contributes to poverty and inequality increases in urban areas and may be linked to inequality declines in rural areas (no significant effect on rural poverty appears from our study). In terms of observed integration to world markets, import penetration plays a similar role as trade liberalization for Brazilian states as a whole. On the contrary, rising export exposure appears to have significantly reduced both measures of household welfare.Poverty; Trade liberalization; Brazil states; Inequality;

Egypt 1998-2012: From Public Protected Employment to Insecure Informal Employment, a Labor Market in Dire Straits

Le marché du travail égyptien a connu, au cours des deux dernières décennies, des mutations importantes que les revendications sociales de la révolution de janvier 2011 ont mises au jour. Parmi elles, le manque de sécurité des emplois et la faible couverture sociale qui leur est associée ont été particulièrement dénoncés. Aussi l’objectif de ce travail est-il de présenter un panorama de l’emploi en Égypte, en s’intéressant en particulier à l’évolution de l’emploi informel. À cette fin, les données individuelles issues d’enquêtes sur les ménages représentatives au niveau national et disponibles pour trois années (1998, 2006 et 2012) seront mobilisées. Les analyses descriptive et économétrique montrent que le désengagement de l’État en tant que pourvoyeur d’emplois a été particulièrement marqué sur cette période. Dans le même temps, son absence d’engagement à faire respecter la législation du travail dans le secteur privé s’est traduit par une progression significative de l’emploi informel. Ce dernier touche particulièrement les hommes, les jeunes et les moins éduqués, bien que l’âge et l’éducation assurent, avec le temps, une protection de moins en moins efficace face à l’emploi informel. À cette absence de protection sociale de la plupart des emplois privés s’ajoute la précarité qui caractérise nombre d’entre eux.Over the last two decades the Egyptian labor market has undergone major changes that the social claims of the January 2011 revolution brought to light. Among them, lack of job security and associated weak social protection have been particularly criticized. Therefore the aim of this article is to present an overview of employment in Egypt, with a specific focus on the evolution of informal employment. To this end we use individual data from nationally representative household surveys carried out in 1998, 2006 and 2012. The descriptive and econometric analysis illustrates that over the period studied the withdrawal of the state as a provider of employment was very marked. Simultaneously, the state’s lack of commitment to enforce labor laws in the private sector has led to a significant increase in informal employment. Informal jobs concern specifically men, young people and the less qualified workers. Though, over time, age and education provide less effective protection against informal employment. The majority of private sector jobs not only lack social protection but are also becoming more and more insecure.no

Trade Liberalization, Inequality and Poverty in Brazilian States

This paper studies the impact of globalization on household income inequality end poverty using detailed microdata across Brazilian states from 1987 to 2005. Results suggest that the Brazilian states more exposed to tariff cuts experienced smaller reductions in household poverty and inequality. Contrasting results emerge when we disaggregate into rural and uraban areas within states: trade liberalization contributes to growth in poverty and inequality in urban areas and may be linked to evidence indicating that state poverty and inequality in Brazil decrease with rising export exposure and increase with import penetration

Trade Liberalization, Inequality and Poverty in Brazilian States

This paper studies the impact of globalization on household income inequality end poverty using detailed microdata across Brazilian states from 1987 to 2005. Results suggest that the Brazilian states more exposed to tariff cuts experienced smaller reductions in household poverty and inequality. Contrasting results emerge when we disaggregate into rural and uraban areas within states: trade liberalization contributes to growth in poverty and inequality in urban areas and may be linked to evidence indicating that state poverty and inequality in Brazil decrease with rising export exposure and increase with import penetration

International Trade and Income Distribution: Reconsidering the Evidence

International trade;International integration;Globalization;Income;Growth

Trade Liberalization, Inequality and Poverty in Brazilian States

This paper studies the impact of trade liberalization and international trade on household income inequality and poverty using detailed micro-data across Brazilian states, from 1987 to 2005. Results suggest that Brazilian states that were more exposed to tariff cuts experienced smaller reductions in household poverty and inequality. If significance of results on Brazilian states depends on the choice of poverty and inequality indicators, robust and contrasting results emerge when we disaggregate into rural and urban areas within states. Trade liberalization contributes to poverty and inequality increases in urban areas and may be linked to inequality declines in rural areas (no significant effect on rural poverty appears from our study). In terms of observed integration to world markets, import penetration plays a similar role as trade liberalization for Brazilian states as a whole. On the contrary, rising export exposure appears to have significantly reduced both measures of household welfare

Le marché du travail britannique vu de France

[fre] Les créations nettes d’emplois au Royaume-Uni ont été au cours des vingt dernières années supérieures à celles observées en France, notamment en raison du différentiel de croissance par tête. Le fonctionnement du marché du travail britannique s’avère cependant paradoxal. Les réformes radicales sont à l’origine d’une certaine capacité d’adaptation, en termes d’effectifs globaux et de salaires relatifs. Mais ce marché reste à maints égards «rigide», avec une inflation salariale toujours vivace et peu sensible au niveau de chômage, une domination persistante des formes traditionnelles d’emploi et une mobilité microéconomique des travailleurs somme toute relativement faible. Ces caractéristiques résulteraient notamment de la nature duale du marché du travail britannique: la pérennité d’un «coeur» du marché du travail marqué par une certaine stabilité dans l’emploi et des hausses de salaires relativement soutenues s’opposerait à une «périphérie» supportant l’essentiel des ajustements nécessaires. Une conséquence majeure et sans ambiguïté des réformes passées est l’augmentation de la pauvreté et des inégalités de revenus. Ce degré d’inégalité est seulement comparable au sein de l’OCDE à celui observé aux États-Unis.

Les zones franches, modèle de développement ?

National audienceA partir des années 1980, la plupart des pays endéveloppement adoptent des politiques commercialesouvertes. Ils abaissent leurs droits dedouane, adhérent à l’OMC et, pour certainsd’entre eux, négocient des accords de libre échange

Poverty and Inequality Dynamics in Manaus: Legacy of a Free Trade Zone?

This study contributes to the literature on the social impacts of Special Economic Zones by analyzing the dynamics of poverty and inequality in the Brazilian state of Amazonas, where the Free Trade Zone of Manaus (FTZM) is located. Using census data, micro-decompositions and counterfactual simulations, we show that if labor income was a major driver of poverty and inequality declines for the municipality of Manaus in the 2000-2010 decade, non-labor income was far more important in the rest of the state of Amazonas. Our contrasting results illustrate both the benefits and limitations of the influence of the FTZM. A better targeting of both social policies and training programs could improve distributional outcomes in the whole area