39th Annual Meeting

Labor Market Strategies for Inclusive Growth

5 May 2006 (2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.)

Asia’s rapid economic growth has lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty. Nevertheless, almost 1.9 billion Asians still survive on less than $2 a day. If this number is to fall, Asian economies must not only create more jobs but also ensure that they are productive. A recent ADB report, Labor Markets in Asia: Promoting Full, Productive, and Decent Employment, argued that with at least 500 million Asians unemployed or underemployed and some 245 million new workers expected to enter the region’s labor markets over the next decade, the outlines of an employment crisis may already be taking shape.

In this seminar, eminent policy makers and scholars will provide perspectives on the following issues:

• How are the forces of globalization, competition, and technological change shaping labor market outcomes?
How can Asia generate large numbers of productive and well-paying jobs for its underutilized and growing labor force?
Does the nature of new labor-saving technology create a conflict between the goals of employment generation and productivity growth?
Are current market-oriented economic reforms aimed at generating economic growth sufficient? Or does recent experience from around the region—which shows respectable growth rates coexisting with increasing inequalities in labor market outcomes—call for alternative policies?
What role is there for labor market institutions—encompassing labor regulations and social protection policies and programs—in ensuring that growth does not bypass large segments of the labor force?

Contact Us

For further information, contact Mr. Rana Hasan, tel: (63-2) 632-6691, email:rhasan@adb.org