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Current Labor Conditions in the Hemisphere: Present Challenges . XIII Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor Salvador de Bahía, Sept. 2003 Jürgen Weller, ECLAC. Issues. General tendencies on the labor markets in LAC Specific challenges Areas of policy intervention .
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Current Labor Conditions in the Hemisphere: Present Challenges XIII Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor Salvador de Bahía, Sept. 2003 Jürgen Weller, ECLAC
Issues • General tendencies on the labor markets in LAC • Specific challenges • Areas of policy intervention
Latin America and the Caribbean: Labour market participation and employment
Specific challenges on the labor markets - 1 Important challenges “at both extremes”: • Compete with quality and productivity: growing demand for highly qualified staff • Weak demand for workers with low formal education (especially women): sector and technological changes
Specific challenges on the labor markets - 2 Higher instability, less protection • Macroeconomic volatility • The challenges of open markets • Less stable contractual relationsships
Specific challenges on the labor markets - 3 Productive integration of youth • Starting-point seems favorable (demographics, education) • But results cannot satisfy (youth unemployment, informality) • Impact of economic crisis • Multiple negative consequences
Some origins of labor market problems • General conditions: Adverse macroeconomic or political environment => low growth, low labor demand • Enterprises: Low productive development, low competitiveness => low productivity, low wages • Workers: Low level of education and ability => low productivity, low wages • Labor market instituciones: Disequilibrium between objectives of efficiency and equity => rigidities, employment of low quality, mistrust
Policy challenges: Employment policy on the macro level • Macroeconomic policy for long-term growth and smoothening of volatility • Relative prices favorable for productive development => Seek for coalition, not confrontation with the Minister of Finance!
Policy challenges: Employment policy on the meso level • Long-range sector policies: education, regional development, promotion of productive activities • Labor demand incentives in specific sectors => Macro conditions are fundamental, but require complements
Policy challenges:Labor market institutions • Re-regulate labor institutions amidst tensions: • Between flexibility and stability • Between efficiency and protection • Between costs and income • Between internal and external (national and supranational) regulations => No “first best” exists – need for a negotiated, country specific search!
Policy challenges:Labor market policies • Improve productivity: continuous training • Improve employability, no discrimination • Improve integration of youth into the labor market • Promotion of microenterprises • Unemployment insurance