Labor Market Reforms, Growth, and Unemployment in Labor-exporting Countries in the Middle East and North Africa

Download or read book Labor Market Reforms, Growth, and Unemployment in Labor-exporting Countries in the Middle East and North Africa written by and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2013 with total page 64 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This paper studies the impact of labor market policies on growth and unemployment in labor-exporting countries in the Middle East and North Africa. The analysis is based on a framework that captures many of the main features of the labor market in these countries. We conduct a variety of policy experiments, including a reduction in payroll taxation, cuts in public sector wages and employment, an increase in employment subsidies, a reduction in trade unions' bargaining power, and a composite reform program. Our key message is that to foster broad-based growth and job creation in the region, labor market reforms must not be viewed in isolation but rather as a component of a comprehensive program of structural reforms.