Far right European politicians have apparently ‘fallen in love’ with a particular aspect of Australian immigration policy, namely, the government’s abysmal treatment of asylum seekers. The current regime of dealing with illegal arrivals seeking asylum in Australia is built on two very contentious elements: turning back ‘boat people’ who seek to reach its shores by […]
Are We Moving Towards A ‘World Free Of Poverty’?
A ‘world free of poverty’ is the motto of the World Bank (WB). It monitors extreme poverty in the world by using the so-called ‘one dollar a day’ poverty line that was constructed in the 1990s. Today, this international poverty line has become $1.90 a day. How has the world fared in terms of the […]
Policy Credibility, Market Confidence And The Private Sector
The notion of the credibility of policy-makers and how that creates incentives for the private sector to consume, save, invest and innovate is at the core of much of modern macroeconomics. Expectations-driven actions by the private sector are seen as the ultimate drivers of sustained economic growth that delivers jobs for all. Policy credibility requires […]
Technology And The Future Of Work In Advanced Economies
The potential scope of automation – driven by computerisation and intelligent robots – has increased significantly in recent years and will continue to do so. Not surprisingly, this is changing the world of work in advanced economies. The process of automation is not only replacing routine manual tasks; it has the significant potential to empower […]
Employment And Inclusive Development: Contesting Conventional Wisdom
In a recently published book, my co-author Rizwanul Islam and I suggest that the notion of inclusive development should have the following attributes: (1) rapid, stable and sustainable per capita GDP growth; (2) sustained decline in income poverty; (3) sustained improvement in human development indicators, such as health, nutrition and education; (4) growth of productive […]
Minimum And Living Wages In Times Of Cuts
A few years ago, Richard Anker, a former ILO official, wrote an important paper on the historical evolution of the notion of ‘living wages’ and different ways of measuring them. This paper is one example of a growing realization that mandated minimum wages, however effectively enforced, can diverge significantly from ‘living wages’ that can sustain […]