Latin American and Caribbean Labor Markets and the Global Economy

UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
 Avda Alonso de Cordova, Santiago, Chile, 14-15 June 2011

With the support of the Government of Spain's Special Fund for Latin America and the Caribbean (SFLAC)

The Santiago conference focussed on the effects of external shocks and the evolving macroeconomic climate on labor markets in the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region.

 

Documents for participants

 

• Agenda (English) Final version: posted on 24 June 2011
  
• Rapporteurs’ Report (Post-Conference), Niny Khor (ADB), Marcelo LaFleur (UN ECLAC), Douglas Lippoldt (OECD) and Nanno Mulder (UN ECLAC)

Papers and presentations by participants

Opening remarks

• Michael Plummer, OECD
  Opening remarks
• Niny Khor, ADB
  Presentation: Employment, Trade and Inclusive Growth: Sustaining a Dynamic Asia (report on the Manila ICITE conference, April 2011)

Keynote remarks (morning)

• Andrés Velasco, former Finance Minister of Chile
  Presentation: Keynote remarks 

Session 1: Heterogeneous Effects of Economic Shocks on Labor Markets

• Erik Von Uexkull, ILO, (presented by Marion Jansen, ILO): 
  Presentation: Trade Openness and Labour Market Institutions during Global Economic Downturns
  Paper: The Role of Openness and Labor Market Institutions for Employment Dynamics during Economic Crises
• David Kaplan, IDB: 
  Presentation: Employment and Wage Responses to Trade Shocks: Evidence from Mexico during the 2008-09 U.S. Recession
  Paper: Trade and Formal Labor Markets in Northern Mexico during the U.S. Recession of 2008-09
• Julian Messina, World Bank:
  Presentation: Wage Rigidity and Disinflation in Emerging Countries
  Paper: Domestic Inflation and Labor-Market Adjustment: Implications for Macro and Micro Policies
• Luis F. Céspedes, Central Bank of Chile:
  Presentation: Heterogeneous Effects of Economic Shocks on Labor Markets (discussion points)

Keynote remarks (lunch)

• William F. Maloney, World Bank:
  Presentation: Trade, Employment Transitions and Income Risk: Emerging Issues in Trade and Employment

Session 2: Liberalization and Policies to Facilitate Labor Market Adjustment

• Marion Jansen, ILO:
  Presentation: Trade, Adjustment Costs and Assistance: The Labour Market Dynamics
  Paper: Trade, Adjustment Costs and Assistance: The Labour Market Dynamics
• David Kupfer, Institute of Economics, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro
  Presentation:  Different Partners, Different Patterns: Trade and Labour Market Dynamics in Brazil Post-Liberalization
• Nanno Mulder, UN ECLAC and ILO:
  Presentation: Openness, Wage Gaps and Unions in Chile: A Micro Econometric Analysis
  Paper: Apertura, brecha salarial, y sindicalización en Chile: Un análisis microeconométrico (Español)
  Openness, Wage Gaps and Unions in Chile: A Micro Econometric Analysis (English version) 
• José Antonio Rodriguez Lopez, University of California and Consultant to OECD:
  Presentation: Trade and Occupational Employment in Mexico since NAFTA
  Paper: Trade and Occupational Employment in Mexico Since NAFTA
• Guido Porto, Universidad Nacional de la Plata, Argentina
  Presentation: Liberalization and Policies to Facilitate Labor Market Adjustment (and notes)

Session 3: International Integration, Informality and Job Quality

• Raymond Robertson, Macalester College:
  Paper: Globalization, Wages and Quality of Jobs: El Salvador and Honduras
• Marc Bacchetta, WTO:
  Paper: Globalization and Informal Jobs in Developing Countries
• Juan de Laiglesia, OECD Development Centre:
  Presentation: De Laiglesia presentation Santiago 2011
• Gerhard Reinecke, ILO:
  Presentation: Comments on International Integration, Informality and Job Quality

Session 4: Trade, Poverty and Inequality

• Julio Guzman, IDB:
  Presentation: Trade and Poverty in Latin America: What Do We Know?
• Marcelo LaFleur, UN ECLAC:
  Paper: First-Order Effects of Liberalization on Real Wages: Chile
• Daniel Lederman, World Bank:
  Presentation: Returns to Schooling and Business Cycles in Latin America and the Caribbean
• Oscar Landerretche, University of Chile:
  Presentation: Comments on the session

Panel: Policy Responses and Labor Market Adjustments in Latin America and the Caribbean

• Bruno Baranda, Subsecretaría del Trabajo, Ministerio del Trabajo y Previsión Social:
  Presentation: Integración, Crisis y Políticas de Desarrollo en el Mercado Laboral
• Soledad Villafañe, Director of Studies and Macroeconomic Coordination at the Ministry of
  Labor, Argentina
  Presentation: Policy Responses and Labor Market Adjustments in Argentina
• Jorge Arbache, Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES)
  Presentation: Policy Responses and Labor Market Adjustments