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Employment and labour productivity in high unemployment countries

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  • Nicoli Nattrass
  • Jeremy Seekings

Abstract

Contemporary development strategies emphasize labour productivity growth because it has historically underpinned rising living standards. Today, however, poverty reduction and inclusive development in those developing countries with high unemployment require increasing the employment rate even if this means lower average labour productivity. We critique the International Labour Organization (ILO) for its overly universalizing advocacy of high‐productivity growth strategies and for failing to confront the trade‐off between more and better‐quality jobs. This is particularly problematic in high unemployment contexts in Southern Africa, where labour productivity growth between 2000 and 2013 came at the cost of a falling employment rate.

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  • Nicoli Nattrass & Jeremy Seekings, 2018. "Employment and labour productivity in high unemployment countries," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 36(S2), pages 769-785, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:devpol:v:36:y:2018:i:s2:p:o769-o785
    DOI: 10.1111/dpr.12313
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    1. Fabian Telch & Susan Appe, 2022. "How can countries improve human development? Four distinct national planning strategies and the challenges for human development ahead," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 40(2), March.

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