Kooperativer Bibliotheksverbund

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Format: 1 online resource (191 pages)

Edition: 1st ed.

ISBN: 1-4648-1973-4

Series Statement: MENA Development Report

Content: In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), trade liberalization measures have coincided with stable economic growth, and GDP per capita growth has surpassed that of other developing regions. However, MENA's labor-market outcomes--such as average wage levels, informality rate, and female labor force participation--continue to underperform. Why has rising trade failed to produce better labor market outcomes in low- and middle-income countries in the region? 'Exports to Improve Labor Markets in the Middle East and North Africa' focuses on the impact of trade policy on trade-flows and their relationship with local labor market outcomes in three low- and middle-income countries--the Arab Republic of Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia. Given their idiosyncratic labor markets, export diversification, and trade policy history, these three countries other important lessons for economic development in the region. Policy makers and stakeholders can use these findings to design policies to improve the chances that higher trade flows will deliver better labor market outcomes and ensure that the benefits are more equally shared. 'This report, led by Gladys Lopez-Acevedo and Raymond Robertson, pushes forward the frontier of knowledge about the relationship between trade and the labor market in MENA. Although focusing on three countries (the Arab Republic of Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia), it gives us broader lessons on how to solve the apparent puzzle of greater exposure to trade not being followed by greater labor market outcomes in the region. It points out, among other factors, how market segmentation by gender shapes the effects of trade shocks like higher exports. Policy makers in the region will definitely benefit from the evidence and analysis conveyed by the report on how to turn trade integration into a lever for shared prosperity.' --Otaviano Canuto, Senior Fellow at the Policy Center for the New South, and former Vice President of the World Bank 'This timely report attempts to understand why trade expansion did not produce the desired improvements in labor market outcomes in three non-oil-exporting countries in MENA. The main reason for the weak link between trade expansion and widely shared labor market improvements appears to be the segmented nature of labor markets in the three countries, by gender as well as by formality status. In Morocco and Tunisia, the highly segmented labor markets along gender lines, in combination with the concentration of trade in male-dominated capital-intensive sectors, led to few employment benefits accruing to women. In Egypt, the limited impact of trade on formal employment is attributable to the small size of the nation's export sector and its lack of integration with the rest of the economy. These findings are critical to understanding how barriers to widely shared prosperity can be tackled in the region.' --Ragui Assaad, Professor, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota.

Note: Front Cover -- Contents -- Foreword -- Acknowledgments -- About the Editors and Contributors -- Abbreviations -- Overview -- Introduction -- Message 1: Liberalized Trade Policy Boosts Trade Flows, with Big Benefits -- Message 2: Trade Benefits Have Not Improved Labor Outcomes -- Message 3: Trade Benefits Are Not Equally Shared -- Message 4: Market Segmentation by Gender Impedes Better Labor Market Outcomes -- Notes -- References -- Chapter 1. Setting the Stage -- Key Messages -- Motivation -- Understanding the Region's Labor Markets -- Major Labor Market Challenges -- From Trade Policy to Trade Flows -- From Trade Policy to Labor Market Outcomes -- A Road Map for the Report -- Annex 1A. Methodology -- Annex 1B. Firm-Level Analysis -- Notes -- References -- Chapter 2. Trade Agreements and Trade Flows in the Middle East and North Africa -- Key Messages -- Introduction -- Understanding Gravity: Theory and Empirics -- Under the Hood: The Gravity Regressions -- Do Trade Agreements Boost Bilateral Trade Flows? -- Conclusion -- Annex 2A. Theoretical Derivation of the Gravity Model -- Notes -- References -- Chapter 3. Morocco Case Study: Trade Expansion with Mixed Results -- Key Messages -- Introduction -- Morocco's Trade Flows and Labor Markets: A Snapshot -- How Trade Affects Local Labor Markets -- The Role of Firms -- Conclusion -- Annex 3A. Supplemental Figures -- Annex 3B. Extended Firm-Level Analysis -- Annex 3C. Supplemental Firm-Level Results -- Notes -- References -- Chapter 4. Tunisia Case Study: How Gender Segmentation Shapes Local Effects of Trade -- Key Messages -- Introduction -- A Profile of Tunisia's Trade Flows and Labor Markets -- Gender-Segmented Labor Markets and Trade -- Conclusion -- Annex 4A. Supplementary Data -- Notes -- References -- Chapter 5. Egypt Case Study: Exploring the Link between Trade and Labor -- Key Messages. , Introduction -- Egypt's Trade Flows and Labor Markets: A Snapshot -- How Trade Affects Local Labor Market Outcomes -- Role of Firms in the Broken Link -- How to Fix a Broken Link -- Annex 5A. Free Trade Agreements -- Annex 5B. Mincerian Wage Regression -- Annex 5C. Subnational Labor Market Trends -- Notes -- References -- Boxes -- Box O.1 Methodological Approach -- Box O.2 Morocco: Positive Trade Shocks Reduce Both Informality and FLFP -- Box O.3 Egypt: A "Broken Link" between Trade Flows and Labor Outcomes? -- Box O.4 Tunisia: Trade Shocks and Labor Markets "Segmented" by Gender -- Box 1.1 Labor Market Concerns before and after the Arab Spring -- Box 1.2 Higher Exports in Morocco and Tunisia: Effects on the Female- and Male-Intensive Employment Sectors -- Box 1A.1 Alternative Approaches -- Box 1A.2 Modeling the Labor Market Impact of Imports -- Box 3.1 Empirical Estimation -- Box 3.2 Finding a Way to Boost Both Exports and FLFP -- Box 5.1 How a Trade Exposure Index Affects Local Labor Market Outcomes -- Box 5.2 How to Determine the Employment-Export Elasticity -- Figures -- Figure O.1 Trends in Tariff Liberalization and Trade Flows, Middle East and North Africa, 2000-19 -- Figure BO.1.1 Approach to Examining the Link between Trade Policy and Labor Market Outcomes -- Figure O.2 Cumulative Regional Trade Agreements, Arab Republic of Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia, 1970-2020 -- Figure O.3 Tariff Rates on All Products, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia, 2000-19 -- Figure O.4 Treatment Effects of Trade Agreements in Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt -- Figure O.5 Average Unemployment Rates in Relation to Trade in the Middle East and North Africa, Regionwide and Selected Countries and Economic Peers Elsewhere, 2015-19 -- Figure O.6 Employment-to-Population Ratios in Low- and Middle-Income Countries, by Region, 2000-19. , Figure O.7 Unemployment Rates, by Gender and Region, 2019 -- Figure O.8 Female and Male Labor Force Participation, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia, Compared with Selected Countries in Other Regions, 2019 -- Figure 1.1 Employment-to-Population Ratios in Low- and Middle-Income Countries, by Region, 2000-19 -- Figure 1.2 Labor Market Outcomes in the Middle East and North Africa -- Figure 1.3 Export and Import Trends, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia, 2000-19 -- Figure 1.4 Average Unemployment Rates in Relation to Trade, Middle East and North Africa, Regionwide and Selected Countries and Economic Peers Elsewhere, 2015-19 -- Figure 1.5 Approach to Examining the Link between Trade Policy and Labor Market Outcomes -- Figure 1A.1 Two-Stage Econometric Analysis of US and EU Import Demand Effects on Middle East and North Africa Local Labor Markets -- Figure 1B.1 Theoretical Outcome Model in the Style of Melitz (1993) -- Figure 2.1 Cumulative Regional Trade Agreements, Arab Republic of Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia, 1970-2020 -- Figure 2.2 Gravity Model of Trade: An Inverse Relationship between Distance and Trade Flows -- Figure 2.3 Treatment Effects of Recent Trade Agreements Relative to Global Average Agreement Effects, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia -- Figure 2.4 Treatment Effects of Trade Agreements, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia -- Figure 2.5 Distribution of Trade Agreements' Treatment Effects, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia, 2010 -- Figure 3.1 Key Trade Trends, Morocco, 1993-2020 -- Figure 3.2 Shares of Exports, by Industry, Morocco, 2000-20 -- Figure 3.3 Working-Age and Employed Populations, by Gender and by Urban or Rural Location, Morocco, 2000-18 -- Figure 3.4 Unemployment Rates, by Gender, Morocco, 2000-18 -- Figure 3.5 Labor Force Participation Rates, by Gender, Morocco, 2000-18 -- Figure 3.6 Decomposition of Female Employment, by Sector, Morocco, 2000-14. , Figure 3.7 Informality Rates and Female Shares of Employment in Morocco, Nationally and by Selected Sector, 2000-18 -- Figure 3.8 Sectoral Decomposition of Employment across Morocco, by Region, 2014 -- Figure 3.9 Kernel Density Functions of Employment among Moroccan Exporting and Nonexporting Firms, 2013 and 2019 -- Figure 3.10 Relationship between Export Sales and Size of Exporting Firms, Morocco, 2019 -- Figure 3.11 Employment and Export Indicators in Female-Intensive and Male-Intensive Firms, Morocco, 2019 -- Figure 3.12 Employment Kernel Density Functions of Moroccan Firms, by Female and Male Labor Intensity, 2019 -- Figure 3.13 Employment Kernel Density Functions of Moroccan Exporters and Nonexporters, 2013 and 2019 -- Figure 3.14 Employment Kernel Density Functions of Moroccan Firms, by Exporting Status, 2019 -- Figure 3A.1 Informality Rates, by Region, Morocco, 2000-18 -- Figure 3A.2 Female Labor Force Participation Rates, by Region, Morocco, 2000-18 -- Figure 4.1 Trends in Income and Export Growth, Tunisia, 1990-2020 -- Figure 4.2 Trends in Tariffs and Trade Flows, Tunisia, 1990-2020 -- Figure 4.3 Decomposition of the Tunisian Labor Force, by Industry, 2006-16 -- Figure 4.4 Decomposition of Tunisian Exports, by Industry, 2006-16 -- Figure 4.5 Female Labor Force Participation and Comparator Country Groups, Tunisia, 2005-17 -- Figure 4.6 Unemployment Rates, Total and by Gender, Tunisia, 2006-16 -- Figure 4.7 Share of Female Employment, by Industry, Tunisia, 2016 -- Figure 4.8 Relationship between Export Growth Contribution and Initial Female Labor Intensity, by Industry, Tunisia -- Figure 4.9 Employment Kernel Density Functions of Exporters and Nonexporters, Tunisia, 2013 and 2020 -- Figure 4.10 Relationship between Rising Export Sales and Employment in Tunisian Firms. , Figure 4.11 Relationship between Shares of Exports and Shares of Female Workers in Tunisian Firms, 2020 -- Figure 4A.1 Decomposition of Sectoral Workforce, by Region, 2016 -- Figure 4A.2 Decomposition of Male and Female Workforce, by Region, Tunisia, 2016 -- Figure 4A.3 Female Labor Force Participation Rates, by Region, Tunisia, 2006-16 -- Figure 4A.4 Unemployment Rates, by Region, Tunisia, 2006-16 -- Figure 5.1 Mean Applied Tariff on All Products, Egypt, 1995-2019 -- Figure 5.2 Exports and Imports of Goods and Services, Egypt, 1980-2020 -- Figure 5.3 Decomposition of Export Value, by Industry, Egypt, 2013, 2016, and 2020 -- Figure 5.4 Shares of Import Value, by Industry, Egypt, 2005-19 -- Figure 5.5 Unemployment Rate, Aggregate and by Gender, Egypt, 2004-20 -- Figure 5.6 Labor Force Participation Rate, Aggregate and by Gender, Egypt, 2004-19 -- Figure 5.7 Employment Share in Selected Industries, Egypt, 2008-17 -- Figure 5.8 Share of Female Employment, by Industry, Egypt, 2008-17 -- Figure 5.9 Informality Rates, by Gender, Egypt, 2008-17 -- Figure 5.10 Real Average Monthly Wages, by Gender, and the Gender Wage Gap, Egypt, 2008-17 -- Figure 5.11 Sectoral Decomposition of Employment by Governorate, Egypt, 2017 -- Figure 5.12 Correlation of Firm Size and Export Activity, Egypt, 2020 -- Figure 5C.1 Average Real Monthly Wages, by Governorate, Egypt, 2008-17 -- Figure 5C.2 Informality Rate, by Governorate, Egypt, 2008-17 -- Figure 5C.3 Female Labor Force Participation, by Governorate, Egypt, 2008-17 -- Maps -- Map 3.1 Informality Rates, by Region, Morocco, 2018 -- Map 4.1 Exposure to Exports, by Governorate, Tunisia, 2016 (in US, billions) -- Map 5.1 Concentrations of Jobs and Exporting Firms, by Governorate, Egypt, 2017 -- Tables. , Table O.1 Estimated Short- and Long-Run Effects of Increased Export Exposure in Morocco, Tunisia, and Arab Republic of Egypt.

Additional Edition: Print version: Lopez-Acevedo, Gladys Exports to Improve Labor Markets in the Middle East and North Africa Washington, D. C. : World Bank Publications,c2023

Language: English