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392. Education and Labour Market Activity of Women in Botswana
- Author:
- Goitseone Khanie
- Publication Date:
- 03-2019
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Botswana Institute for Development Policy Analysis
- Abstract:
- This study examines the prevalence of female participation in labour market activities and investigates the role played by education in this participation. Using the 2015/16 Botswana Multi Topic Household Survey data and a multinomial logit model, the study found that women with tertiary education are more likely to be wage employed relative to self-employment, whereas those with lower to no education are more likely to be unemployed or out of the labour force. This is because higher education is normally considered a prerequisite for most wage jobs. It is therefore imperative for the government to continue educating women beyond secondary level as it will better equip them to participate in more meaningful labour market activities. On the other hand, there is need to stimulate the demand side of the labour market in order to accommodate the rising numbers of women with high levels of education. In order to encourage participation of women in high rewarding self-employment activities, there is need to intensify empowerment schemes that are largely oriented towards their self-employment.
- Topic:
- Education, Gender Issues, Labor Issues, Women, and Employment
- Political Geography:
- Africa and Botswana
393. Unemployment in the SADC Region
- Author:
- Johanne Motsatsi
- Publication Date:
- 03-2019
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Botswana Institute for Development Policy Analysis
- Abstract:
- The objective of this study is to estimate the determinants of unemployment in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region using annual data from 2000 to 2016. Given the characteristic of the data, the study adopts Fixed Effect (FE) estimation technique. For further analysis, the study also estimated the ARDL panel model to capture persistence effect of unemployment in the region. The FE results reveals that real GDP, foreign direct investment, consumer price index, credit to the private sector and interest rate are negatively related to unemployment. While trade openness, labour productivity and population have a positive sign. The results estimated with ARDL model are not very different from those of FE model, but we obtained a noticeably smaller estimates for ARDL model. Variables which have negative association with unemployment suggest that they are likely to reduce unemployment. Therefore, such indicators may be of interest to policy makers when formulating unemployment reduction strategies. In terms of policy advise, the study recommends the government of SADC member states to encourage the education system that can equip leaners with entrepreneurial skills and in-job practical skills, in order to promote high success rate of SMMEs as well as to provide skills needed in the labour market. It also recommended enforcement of free trade of goods and services in the region as a means of making the industrial sector an engine of economic growth in order to create much needed employment.
- Topic:
- Development, Economics, Labor Issues, Employment, Labor Policies, Macroeconomics, and Unemployment
- Political Geography:
- Africa and Botswana
394. Financial Inclusion and its Impact on Employment Creation in Botswana
- Author:
- Koketso Molefhi
- Publication Date:
- 03-2019
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Botswana Institute for Development Policy Analysis
- Abstract:
- The study examines the impact of financial inclusion on employment creation in Botswana using quarterly time series data for the period 2004-2016. Using Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model, we find that availability of bank branches, ownership of bank account and borrowing from the commercial bank have a positive impact on employment creation in the short run. Similarly, in the long run, availability of bank branches, ownership of bank account has a positive relationship with employment creation in the long run. Depositors with commercial banks has a negative bearing on employment creation, both in the short run and in the long run. Therefore, policies should be aimed at ensuring easy access into the financial sector by way of reducing costs associated with account opening as well as creating affordable deposit and borrowing windows to the financially excluded groups.
- Topic:
- Economics, Labor Issues, Employment, Finance, Financial Markets, and Macroeconomics
- Political Geography:
- Africa and Botswana
395. Platform Economy and Employment: What it is like to work for an app in Argentina?
- Author:
- Javier Madariaga, Cesar Buenadicha, Erika Molina, and Christoph Ernst
- Publication Date:
- 11-2019
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Center for the Implementation of Public Policies for Equity and Growth (CIPPEC)
- Abstract:
- Digital platforms emerged globally about ten years ago and entailed a major disruption in the world of work. However, they are a relatively recent development in Argentina. Early in 2016 there were five such platforms in operation, all of them domestic capital companies. After that, the flexibilization of the system of payments abroad and other factors accelerated the entry of new platforms and affiliates of foreign companies, which, in turn, fostered the flow of new investments in local platforms that were already installed. In fact, during the following two years, at least eight new platforms that offer the possibility of income generation were incorporated. However, new forms of work through digital platforms is not included in the government´s official statistics and thus remains invisible in other categories: unemployed working persons, freelancers, some non-standard wage-earning employment, and informal workers. This study is the first to classify, describe, and analyze digital labour platforms in Argentina. It includes a specific survey of more than 600 cases: the 2018 Survey of Platform Workers (ETP 18, as per its Spanish acronym). The survey’s results show that, although this phenomenon is at its earliest stages, in 2018 the group of users-providers of services through digital platforms represented 1% of all those employed in Argentina, that is to say, more than 160,000 registered workers. That figure encompasses very different realities, from people transporting passengers in their cars to graphic designers working from home, or people renting out a room in their homes. One conclusion drawn from this research is that the platform economy offers new income generation opportunities and plays a social safety role in the face of unemployment and underemployment, but it also creates regulatory issues and challenges the scope of labour, tax and worker protection rules that were designed for the traditional economy. The digital platform economy democratises the generation of income, offers more flexible opportunities and income generation methods, and facilitates access to work. Nevertheless, it also brings new challenges to workers: more job insecurity and volatility, and less accumulation of skills. The document Platform Economy: ¿What is it like to work for an app in Argentina? analyzes in detail the different aspects of the platform economy and presents some potential public policy guidelines.
- Topic:
- Science and Technology, Labor Issues, Employment, Digital Economy, Work Culture, and Labor Policies
- Political Geography:
- Argentina and Latin America
396. A Gendered Perspective on Changing Demographics: Implications for Labour, Financial and Digital Equity
- Author:
- Florencia Caro Sachetti, Gala Díaz Langou, and Fernando Filgueira
- Publication Date:
- 03-2019
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Center for the Implementation of Public Policies for Equity and Growth (CIPPEC)
- Abstract:
- The demographic transition has been one of the greatest phenomena affecting development worldwide and its effects on gender equity are undeniable. Lower fertility and ageing populations create both challenges and opportunities for gender equity, while women still face obstacles towards labour, financial and digital inclusion. G20 countries are at very different stages of the process, yet most have birth rates below replacement levels and population is ageing. Adopting a comprehensive and intersectional approach to women’s economic empowerment that contemplates age – and gender – specific rights, priorities and needs is crucial to both fulfilling women’s rights and facing the challenges associated with demographic change.
- Topic:
- Demographics, Gender Issues, Labor Issues, Inequality, Finance, Digital Economy, and Economic Development
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
397. Refugees in Lebanon: Perspectives from on the Ground
- Author:
- Dima Zayat, Serene Dardari, and Mona Yacoubian
- Publication Date:
- 10-2019
- Content Type:
- Video
- Institution:
- Middle East Institute (MEI)
- Abstract:
- In recent months, refugees in Lebanon are facing a dismal climate of social polarization, opportunistic political rhetoric, and increasing hostility, with the demolition of some informal camp settlements, enhanced labor law restrictions, and widespread protests. Humanitarian programs must navigate tensions between host, Palestinian and Syrian refugee communities against the backdrop of Lebanon’s serious economic and environmental difficulties. The Middle East Institute (MEI) and Anera held a panel discussion of the many challenges facing Syrian and Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. Dima Zayat and Serene Dardari, two experts with years of experience in the humanitarian sector in Lebanon, were joined by discussant Mona Yacoubian to assess these challenges and explore potential avenues to address them. Randa Slim (MEI) moderated the discussion.
- Topic:
- Humanitarian Aid, Labor Issues, Financial Crisis, Refugees, Economy, Protests, and Xenophobia
- Political Geography:
- Middle East, Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria
398. Improving Single Male Laborers’ Health in Qatar
- Author:
- Center for International and Regional Studies
- Publication Date:
- 01-2019
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS), Georgetown University in Qatar
- Abstract:
- The aim of this policy brief is to provide some understanding of the health constraints faced by single male laborers (SMLs), the policy efforts underway to enhance their access to healthcare, and further actions that ought to be undertaken to strengthen and improve healthcare for this group of migrant workers in Qatar.
- Topic:
- Health, Labor Issues, and Health Care Policy
- Political Geography:
- Middle East and Qatar
399. The Impact of Information and Communication Technologies on Jobs in Africa: A Literature Review
- Author:
- Elvis Melia
- Publication Date:
- 01-2019
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS)
- Abstract:
- In the past two decades, Africa has experienced a wave of mobile telephony and the early stages of internet connectivity. This paper summarises recent empirical research findings on the impact that information and communication technologies (ICTs) have had on jobs in Africa, be it in creating new jobs, destroying old jobs, or changing the quality of existing jobs in levels of productivity, incomes, or working conditions. The paper discusses various channels in which ICTs can impact jobs: In theory, they have the potential to allow for text-based services platforms that can help farmers and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) become more productive or receive better access to market information; mobile money has the potential to allow the most vulnerable workers more independence and security; and the internet could allow women, in particular, to increase their incomes and independence. This literature review examines what rigorous empirical evidence actually exists to corroborate these claims. Most of the studies reviewed do indeed find positive effects of ICTs on jobs (or related variables) in Africa. On the basis of these findings, the paper reviews policy options for those interested in job creation in Sub-Saharan Africa. The paper concludes by highlighting that these positive findings may exist in parallel with negative structural dynamics that are more difficult to measure. Also, the review’s findings - while positive across the board - should be seen as distinct for ICTs in the period of the 2000s and 2010s, and cannot easily be transferred to expect similarly positive effects of the much newer, Fourth Industrial Revolution Technologies (such as machine learning, blockchain technologies, big data analytics, platform economies), which may produce entirely different dynamics.
- Topic:
- Development, Science and Technology, Labor Issues, Women, Internet, Economic Growth, Political Science, and Literature Review
- Political Geography:
- Africa
400. Not in My Backyard? Welfare Gains and Social Challenges: The Impact of Refugees on the Host Population in Uganda
- Author:
- Jana Kuhnt, Jana Lenze, and Ramona Rischke
- Publication Date:
- 01-2019
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS)
- Abstract:
- This study exploits a natural experiment of three sudden Congolese refugee inflows to causally investigate the impact of an increased exposure to refugee presence on the Ugandan host population. We focus on the effects on female employment, household welfare and social cohesion among the host population. Using a repeated cross-section (pre- and post-treatment) of Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data covering the years 2001 to 2011, we find that a higher exposure to our treatment variable increases the probability that Ugandan women are active in the labour market. This effect is mainly driven by agricultural employment. We also find that a higher treatment exposure has a positive impact on household wealth and a beneficial effect on nutritional indicators of children below the age of five. Our qualitative investigation suggests that incoming refugees improved labour market opportunities for Ugandan women, for instance, by increasing demand (such as for agricultural produce) and new marketing channels. These effects translated into positive average welfare effects for the host population. Irrespective of these welfare gains, analysing different dimensions of social cohesion using Afrobarometer data covering the years 2000 to 2012, we found that a higher exposure to our treatment variable was negatively associated with social cohesion indicators: a larger refugee presence was associated, for instance, with a rise in perceived inequality, as well as with lower levels of general trust among the host population. While the underlying mechanisms necessitate future research and a more nuanced analysis, we note that economic gains do not necessarily benefit social cohesion.
- Topic:
- Gender Issues, Labor Issues, Refugees, and Social Cohesion
- Political Geography:
- Uganda, Africa, and Democratic Republic of the Congo