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Targeting Employment Expansion, Economic Growth and Development in Sub-Saharan Africa: Outlines of an Alternative Economic Programme for the Region

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  • James Heintz
  • Robert Pollin

Abstract

This paper outlines the elements of a development-targeted economic framework aimed at creating decent employment opportunities as a strategy for realizing core human development goals in Africa. Four policy areas form the core of the paper: monetary policy and inflation, exchange rate policy, development finance and financial sector reforms, and public investment and fiscal policy. This paper draws heavily on three large UNDP-sponsored studies of employment-oriented economic policies in Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa. The paper aims to discuss the elements of an alternative, development-targeted economic framework for African countries in general and, in doing so, the analysis draws on examples, research, and statistics from a wide range of countries.

Suggested Citation

  • James Heintz & Robert Pollin, 2008. "Targeting Employment Expansion, Economic Growth and Development in Sub-Saharan Africa: Outlines of an Alternative Economic Programme for the Region," Published Studies targeting_employment_expa, Political Economy Research Institute, University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
    • Handle: RePEc:uma:perips:targeting_employment_expansion_-_pollin_and_heintz_-_final
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Loudi Njoya & Ibrahim Ngouhouo & Moussa Njoupouognigni & Schneider Friederich & Zenabou Tourere, 2024. "Can we understand the simultaneous evolution between economic and informality growth in Africa? A preliminary explanation," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 36(1), pages 398-414, January.
    2. Barakat, Sultan & Zyck, Steven A., 2010. "Gulf state assistance to conflict-affected environments," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 55240, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    3. Elvis Korku Avenyo & Maty Konte & Pierre Mohnen, 2021. "Product innovation and informal market competition in sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 31(2), pages 605-637, April.
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    5. Gerald Epstein & James Heintz & Léonce Ndikumana & Grace Chang, 2011. "Employment, Poverty and Economic Development in Madagascar," Published Studies ndikumana_ilo2010, Political Economy Research Institute, University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
    6. Epstein, Gerald. & Heintz, James. & Ndikumana, Léonce. & Chang, Grace., 2010. "Employment, poverty and economic development in Madagascar : a macroeconomic framework," ILO Working Papers 994554463402676, International Labour Organization.
    7. Nissanke, Machiko, 2019. "Exploring macroeconomic frameworks conducive to structural transformation of sub-Saharan African economies," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 103-116.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Africa; macroeconomics; employment; finance; exchange rates; inflation.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E60 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - General
    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • O11 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O55 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Africa

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