Ebook77 pages1 hour
Working toward Better Pay: Earnings Dynamics in Ghana and Tanzania
By Paolo Falco, Andrew Kerr, Pierella Paci and Bob Rijkers
Rating: 0 out of 5 stars
()
About this ebook
Improving the returns to labor for low-paid workers is a key policy challenge, especially in low-income countries (LICs) where earnings increases are the single most important source of poverty reduction and an important engine of shared prosperity. Yet, the understanding of individual earnings dynamics remains limited. The small—but growing—body of empirical literature on the factors leading to larger and faster pay increases points to strong persistence in earnings over time. However, it remains unclear to what extent this is due to differences in individual endowments rather than to the fact that being in low-paying jobs itself undermines future earnings prospects, and to what extent determinants of earnings vary across types of activities and sectors. The knowledge gap is particularly large for LICs due to the limited availability of reliable panel data.
This study uses unusually rich longitudinal data from Ghana and Tanzania to identify engines of, and barriers to, earnings and earnings mobility. It examines the relative role of individual endowments—such as gender, age, and skills—and characteristics of the job, but also focuses on the role of job switches—for example, moves into and out of self-employment. The analysis also zooms in on the drivers of transitions between low-paying and high-paying jobs and addresses questions such as whether being low paid is a transitory or permanent phenomenon, and whether it has a scarring effect on an individual’s employment prospects. The extent to which earnings dynamics differ for women and young adults is also discussed in detail. Tanzania and Ghana provide a particularly relevant context in which to examine these issues and the cross-country comparison helps shed light on the institutional factors that promote labor market mobility and entrepreneurship.
The audience for this report is broad: it is an important read for policy makers, academics, and development practitioners interested in reducing poverty and promoting shared prosperity in Ghana and Tanzania. However, its relevance spans well beyond the two countries analyzed to include all developing countries where self-employment in small-scale activities accounts for a very large proportion of all employment.
This study uses unusually rich longitudinal data from Ghana and Tanzania to identify engines of, and barriers to, earnings and earnings mobility. It examines the relative role of individual endowments—such as gender, age, and skills—and characteristics of the job, but also focuses on the role of job switches—for example, moves into and out of self-employment. The analysis also zooms in on the drivers of transitions between low-paying and high-paying jobs and addresses questions such as whether being low paid is a transitory or permanent phenomenon, and whether it has a scarring effect on an individual’s employment prospects. The extent to which earnings dynamics differ for women and young adults is also discussed in detail. Tanzania and Ghana provide a particularly relevant context in which to examine these issues and the cross-country comparison helps shed light on the institutional factors that promote labor market mobility and entrepreneurship.
The audience for this report is broad: it is an important read for policy makers, academics, and development practitioners interested in reducing poverty and promoting shared prosperity in Ghana and Tanzania. However, its relevance spans well beyond the two countries analyzed to include all developing countries where self-employment in small-scale activities accounts for a very large proportion of all employment.
Related to Working toward Better Pay
Related ebooks
Working toward Better Pay Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFostering Entrepreneurship in Georgia Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEntrepreneurship Education and Training: Insights from Ghana, Kenya, and Mozambique Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEntrepreneurship Education and Training Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5From Jobs to Careers: Apparel Exports and Career Paths for Women in Developing Countries Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTransforming Central Finance Agencies in Poor Countries: A Political Economy Approach Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSustaining Employment and Wage Gains in Brazil: A Skills and Jobs Agenda Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHidden Potential: Rethinking Informality in South Asia Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFostering Skills in Cameroon: Inclusive Workforce Development, Competitiveness, and Growth Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPoverty, Inequality, and Evaluation: Changing Perspectives Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Toward New Sources of Competitiveness in Bangladesh: Key Insights of the Diagnostic Trade Integration Study Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBeyond Crisis Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Primer on Policies for Jobs Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRight to Work?: Assessing India's Employment Guarantee Scheme in Bihar Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRight to Work? Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBack to Work Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBack to Work: Growing with Jobs in Europe and Central Asia Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLessons Learned and Not Yet Learned from a Multicountry Initiative on Women's Economic Empowerment Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Business & Financial Law For You
Business Law Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5California Employment Law: An Employer's Guide: Revised and Updated for 2022 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIRAs, 401(k)s & Other Retirement Plans: Strategies for Taking Your Money Out Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Introduction to Negotiable Instruments: As per Indian Laws Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Nolo's Quick LLC: All You Need to Know About Limited Liability Companies Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The SHRM Essential Guide to Employment Law, Second Edition: A Handbook for HR Professionals, Managers, Businesses, and Organizations Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWin In Court Every Time Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5International Business Law: Cases and Materials Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5AI For Lawyers: How Artificial Intelligence is Adding Value, Amplifying Expertise, and Transforming Careers Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings100+ Creative Content Prompts for Any Industry Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMergers and Acquisitions from A to Z Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Employment Law (in Plain English) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLegal Guide for Starting & Running a Small Business Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLegal Guide for Starting & Running a Small Business Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5S Corporation ESOP Traps for the Unwary Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Trademark Guide: How You Can Protect and Profit from Trademarks (Third Edition) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBusiness Organizations: Outlines and Case Summaries: Law School Survival Guides, #10 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLLC: LLC Quick start guide - A beginner's guide to Limited liability companies, and starting a business Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Law (in Plain English) for Nonprofit Organizations Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSecrets of Productive Contracts Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Business Law Made Simple: A Guide for Students Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsContracts: Essential Law Self-Teaching Guide Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBusiness Associations, Law Essentials: Governing Law for Law School and Bar Exam Prep Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRisky Business: Financing and Distributing Independent Films Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Insurance Ethics Training Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Fifteen Percent: Overcoming Hardships and Achieving Lasting Success Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Curse of Bigness: Antitrust in the New Gilded Age Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Writer's Legal Guide, Fourth Edition Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Buffettology Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Working toward Better Pay
Rating: 0 out of 5 stars
0 ratings
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Working toward Better Pay - Paolo Falco
Enjoying the preview?
Page 1 of 1