Levy Economics Institute, Economics Program, and Economics Club Present
The “Global” Labor Market: How Real Is It, and How Should Governments Respond?
Tuesday, November 13, 2018
Olin Humanities, Room 102
4:45 pm – 6:00 pm EST/GMT-5
4:45 pm – 6:00 pm EST/GMT-5
Aashish Mehta,
Associate Professor Global Studies, UC Santa Barbara
Associate Professor Global Studies, UC Santa Barbara
It is commonly asserted that labor markets are becoming more “global”—or equivalently, that national labor markets are becoming more interconnected. Those making this assertion point out that globalized labor markets have consequences for all sorts of economic policy decisions, ranging from the design of macroeconomic stimulus to education to currency management. But is the assertion meaningful and correct? My collaborators and I argue that labor markets can become interconnected in many different ways, and that each of these dimensions of globalization has a bearing on different policy decisions. We show that some countries’ labor markets have globalized in one dimensions, only to become less global in others—and that the trends along each dimension differ significantly across countries. We also explain why some claims about labor market globalization are currently unverifiable. It follows that governments wishing to clean up policies from a previous era in order to cope with an ostensibly globalized world should approach the task carefully, applying scalpels rather than brooms, especially when considering changes to policies that reduce inequality.
Aashish Mehta is associate professor of global studies at UC Santa Barbara. He is a development economist, with a primary interest in the connections between structural change, globalization, education, employment, and equitable development. He collaborates frequently across disciplinary lines to study the functioning of public institutions in developing countries. Prior to joining UCSB, he served as an economist at the Asian Development Bank.
Aashish Mehta is associate professor of global studies at UC Santa Barbara. He is a development economist, with a primary interest in the connections between structural change, globalization, education, employment, and equitable development. He collaborates frequently across disciplinary lines to study the functioning of public institutions in developing countries. Prior to joining UCSB, he served as an economist at the Asian Development Bank.
For more information, call 845-758-7075, or e-mail [email protected].
Time: 4:45 pm – 6:00 pm EST/GMT-5
Location: Olin Humanities, Room 102