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Poverty in the Transition: Social Expenditures and the Working-Age Poor

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  • Micklewright, John
  • Klugman, Jeni
  • Redmond, Gerry

Abstract

A combination of economic growth and committed revenue-raising should give most governments in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union considerable scope to devote increased resources to tackling poverty. We review the extent and nature of poverty across the transition countries, emphasising the phenomenon of the working-age poor. We consider governments’ fiscal positions and revenue raising tools, including the issue of whether some countries now have levels of external debt servicing that are so high as to hamper social sector expenditures. We analyse whether the introduction of credible unemployment benefit schemes in the CIS would aid labour market reform and hence help solve the problem there of in-work poverty (we first review experience in Central and Eastern Europe). We focus on the case of Russia, and simulate a simple scheme with 2000 household survey data. The Paper concludes by considering the role of improved wages for public service workers and the targeting of categorical benefits.

Suggested Citation

  • Micklewright, John & Klugman, Jeni & Redmond, Gerry, 2002. "Poverty in the Transition: Social Expenditures and the Working-Age Poor," CEPR Discussion Papers 3389, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
  • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:3389
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    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    Cited by:

    1. Micael Castanheira, 2003. "Public finance and the optimal speed of transition," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 11(3), pages 435-462, September.
    2. Sunnee Billingsley, 2010. "The Post-Communist Fertility Puzzle," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 29(2), pages 193-231, April.
    3. Noland, Marcus & Son, Hyun H., 2012. "Editors’ introduction transitional economies: Progress and pitfalls," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 23(2), pages 107-110.
    4. Radwan Shaban & Hiromi Asoaka & Bob Barnes & Vladimir Drebentsov & John Langenbrunner & Sajaia Zurab & James Stevens & David Tarr & Emil Tesliuc & Olga Shabalina & Ruslan Yemtsov, 2006. "Reducing Poverty through Growth and Social Policy Reform in Russia," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 6955, December.
    5. Kitty Stewart & Carmen Huerta, 2006. "Reinvesting in Children? Policies for the very young in South Eastern Europe and the CIS," Papers inwopa06/35, Innocenti Working Papers.
    6. Larysa Krasnikova & Olena Osinkina & Tamara Podvysotskaya & Yuriy Podvysotskiy, 2011. "Does health Matter for Inequality in Transition Countries: The Case of Ukraine," wiiw Balkan Observatory Working Papers 90, The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw.
    7. Brück, Tilman & Danzer, Alexander M. & Muravyev, Alexander & Weisshaar, Natalia, 2010. "Poverty during transition: Household survey evidence from Ukraine," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 38(2), pages 123-145, June.
    8. Tilman Brück1 & Alexander Danzer & Alexander Muravyev & Natalia Weißhaar, 2007. "Determinants Of Poverty During Transition: Household Survey Evidence From Ukraine," PRUS Working Papers 40, Poverty Research Unit at Sussex, University of Sussex.
    9. Facchini, Giovanni & Segnana, Maria Luigia, 2003. "Growth at the EU periphery: the next enlargement," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 43(5), pages 827-862.
    10. Fabian Bornhorst & Simon Commander, 2005. "Integration and the Well-being of Children in the Transition Economies," Papers inwopa05/31, Innocenti Working Papers.
    11. Tiiu Paas, 2003. "Social Consequences of Transition and European Integration Processes in the Baltic States," ERSA conference papers ersa03p382, European Regional Science Association.
    12. Anne White, 2007. "Internal Migration Trends in Soviet and Post-Soviet European Russia," Europe-Asia Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 59(6), pages 887-911.
    13. Stepan Jurajda & Daniel M??nich, 2002. "Understanding Czech Long-Term Unemployment," William Davidson Institute Working Papers Series 498, William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan.
    14. Gustafsson, Bjorn & Nivorozhkina, Ludmila, 2005. "How and why transition made income inequality increase in urban Russia: A local study," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 772-787, December.
    15. Olgica Ivančev & Milena Jovičić & Tijana Milojević, 2010. "Income Inequality and Social Policy in Serbia," wiiw Balkan Observatory Working Papers 86, The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw.
    16. Mihaly Simai, 2006. "Poverty and Inequality in Eastern Europe and the CIS Transition Economies," Working Papers 17, United Nations, Department of Economics and Social Affairs.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Poverty; Transition; social expenditures;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H50 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - General
    • I30 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General
    • P20 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist and Transition Economies - - - General

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