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Crisis in Latin America : infrastructure investment, employment and the expectations of stimulus

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  • Schwartz, Jordan Z.
  • Andres, Luis A.
  • Dragoiu, Georgeta

Abstract

Infrastructure investment is a central part of the stimulus plans of the Latin American and the Caribbean (LAC) region as it confronts the growing financial crisis. This paper estimates the potential effects on direct, indirect, and induced employment for different types of infrastructure projects with LAC-specific variables. The analysis finds that the direct and indirect short-term employment generation potential of infrastructure capital investment projects may be considerable - averaging around 40,000 annual jobs per US$1billion in LAC, depending upon such variables as the mix of subsectors in the investment program; the technologies deployed; local wages for skilled and unskilled labor; and the degrees of leakages to imported inputs. While these numbers do not account for substitution effect, they are built around an assumed"basket"of investments that crosses infrastructure sectors most of which are not employment-maximizing. Albeit limited in scope, rural road maintenance projects may employ 200,000 to 500,000 annualized direct jobs for every US$1billion spent. The paper also describes the potential risks to effective infrastructure investment in an environment of crisis including sorting and planning contradictions, delayed implementation and impact, affordability, and corruption.

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  • Schwartz, Jordan Z. & Andres, Luis A. & Dragoiu, Georgeta, 2009. "Crisis in Latin America : infrastructure investment, employment and the expectations of stimulus," Policy Research Working Paper Series 5009, The World Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:5009
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    Cited by:

    1. Saima Nawaz & Saba Anwar & Nasir Iqbal, 2021. "The Spatial Effects of Road Infrastructure on Employment in Pakistan: Quantifying the Role of Complementary Factors," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 60(3), pages 309-330.
    2. Hallegatte, Stephane & Bangalore, Mook & Bonzanigo, Laura & Fay, Marianne & Narloch, Ulf & Rozenberg, Julie & Vogt-Schilb, Adrien, 2014. "Climate change and poverty -- an analytical framework," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7126, The World Bank.
    3. Ruiz Nunez,Fernanda & Wei,Zichao, 2015. "Infrastructure investment demands in emerging markets and developing economies," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7414, The World Bank.
    4. Elliott, Robert J.R. & Lindley, Joanne K., 2017. "Environmental Jobs and Growth in the United States," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 232-244.
    5. Benjamin Jones, 2011. "Driving A Green Economy Through Public Finance And Fiscal Policy Reform," Journal of International Commerce, Economics and Policy (JICEP), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 2(02), pages 325-349.
    6. Justin Yifu Lin & Doerte Doemeland, 2012. "Beyond Keynesianism: Global Infrastructure Investments In Times Of Crisis," Journal of International Commerce, Economics and Policy (JICEP), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 3(03), pages 1-29.
    7. Luis René Cáceres, 2021. "Youth Unemployment and Underdevelopment in Honduras," International Journal of Economics and Finance, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 13(2), pages 1-61, February.
    8. Robert J R Elliott & Joanne K Lindley, 2014. "Green Jobs and Growth in the United States: Green Shoots or False Dawn?," Discussion Papers 14-09, Department of Economics, University of Birmingham.
    9. Ianchovichina, Elena & Estache, Antonio & Foucart, Renaud & Garsous, Grégoire & Yepes, Tito, 2013. "Job Creation through Infrastructure Investment in the Middle East and North Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 209-222.
    10. Alex Bowen, 2012. "�Green� growth, �green� jobs and labour markets," GRI Working Papers 76, Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.
    11. Bowen, Alex, 2012. "'Green'growth,'green'jobs and labor markets," Policy Research Working Paper Series 5990, The World Bank.
    12. Luis Rene Cáceres, 2021. "Causes and Consequences of Idle Youth in Guatemala," International Journal of Economics and Finance, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 13(1), pages 1-61, January.
    13. Laura Tuck & Jordan Schwartz & Luis Andres, 2009. "Crisis in LAC : Infrastructure Investment and the Potential for Employment Generation," World Bank Publications - Reports 10986, The World Bank Group.

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    Keywords

    Transport Economics Policy&Planning; Banks&Banking Reform; Non Bank Financial Institutions; Debt Markets;
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