Labor Markets in Asia (PDF)

T. C. A. ANANT Department of Economics, University of Delhi, India STEVEN KAPSOS Employment Trends Unit, Employment Strategy Department, International Labour Organization, Switzerland LEONARDO LANZONA JR. Economics Department, Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines CU CHI LOI Vietnam Institute of Economics, Vietnam P. MOHAPATRA Department of History, University of Delhi, India R. NAGARAJ Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, India BINH T. NGUYEN Economics and Research Department, Asian Development Bank, Philippines MAYLING OEY-GARDINER Insan Hitawasana Sejahtera, Indonesia S. K. SASIKUMAR V.V. Giri National Labor Institute, India GUNTUR SUGIYARTO Economics and Research Department, Asian Development Bank, Philippines RAN TAO Institute for Chinese Studies, University of Oxford, UK, and Center for Chinese Agricultural Policy, People's Republic of China NGUYEN CHIEN THANG Vietnam Institute of Economics, Vietnam NINASAPTI TRIASWATI Insan Hitawasana Sejahtera, Indonesia.

'At least one-third of Asia's labour force is unemployed or underemployed. A lack of employment is a major cause of poverty. If the Millennium Development Goals are to be met in Asia, there needs to be massive employment generation. The challenge is how? Felipe and Hasan set out the issues in stark form with a masterly theoretical survey of the functioning of labour markets in Asia, plus five detailed case studies of India, Indonesia, Philippines, China and Vietnam, highlighting the policy implications. This is undoubtedly one of the most important books written on growth, employment and poverty in Asia since Myrdal's classic, Asian Drama'. - Tony Thirlwall, Professor of Applied Economics, University of Kent, UK

'Even in a region known for its economic dynamism, creating full, productive, and decent employment is the biggest challenge facing Asia today. That is the convincing message of this authoritative book. Full of sound research, the volume debunks the widely held view that labour market rigidities are a major obstacle to employment creation. Instead, improving the incomes of the hundreds of millions of poor who work and creating more good jobs rely on the coordination of macroeconomic and social policies. It would be a welcome achievement if this book serves to put the employment challenge central to the policy agendas in Asia.' - Duncan Campbell, Director, Policy Integration Department, International Labour Organization